


The Green Pen

by Jules6



Category: seaQuest
Genre: Child Abuse, Gen, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Past Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-21
Updated: 2020-10-13
Packaged: 2021-02-18 06:26:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 158,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21506614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jules6/pseuds/Jules6
Summary: Follows on from 'Please Tell Someone' -  Lucas Wolenczak has revealed his darkest secret, and now he and the crew of the SeaQuest and others have to deal with the aftermath and what it means for all of them.  What the immediate future brings for each of them is uncertain. Story Two (2)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19





	1. Nothing Has Changed

**Author's Note:**

> Please see author notes at the beginning of the chapter.

**THE GREEN PEN**

**By Jules**

**Author Notes –** thank you for everybody who is still reading. It truly means a lot that people are reading after such a long time of being away. I hope you enjoy this next instalment.

This is the second story in my new series, and it would be helpful for you to read **Please Tell Someone** as this story continues straight into a new page from the ending scenes of that story.

The reason for this title will not become apparent until much later in the story, but was thought of ten (10) years ago or more, when the original plot came to me long before I added in the new adoption arc.

Any legal references, laws, requirements for reporting abuse, the steps taken afterwards, court proceedings and outcomes and interview protocols are all fictional. Some are based loosely on real laws and circumstances, but a lot are fabricated to suit my story only and have been changed to suit the plot I have derived. The same with which authorities are involved and their individual roles and responsibilities.

This chapter will be a little darker and angsty for most of it, because it is building to some of the most important scenes of the whole beginning adoption process – and that is Lucas's long held secret has just been found out. But I intend to have quite a few light-hearted ones as well and some new things happening.

Sorry folks, this opening chapter wasn't meant to be this long – actually half of the stuff I wanted to put in here won't come up until Chapter Two.

There will be a lot happening in this story as well, so I am not sure how long it will be yet. Probably longer than the first story.

**Chapter One – Nothing Has Changed**

_from the end of the previous story:_

_Bridger knew he was only beginning to understand. And there was so much more that he wanted to talk about and say to the boy. To be able to do to help him overcome these inescapable obstacles. He was aware that it would take time and patience, and most of all, it might require everything he had to give to keep his promises._

_And now the story continues:_

Quite a few more than twenty-eight seconds had now passed. The coldness of the room was beginning to seep into his own lower back, and he needed to move from the position he was currently sitting in.

Nathan Bridger slowly and quietly raised himself off the floor, not wanting to make a single sound at the moment to disturb the sleeping youth who was still seated against the opposite wall. His head was at an awkward angle, and although he had fallen asleep due to exhaustion and pain, it was restless, not restful. Nathan doubted it would be long before Lucas woke again from more discomfort.

Time to stop that from happening if he could, and make some plans of getting the teenager out of his own cabin and back into Kristin's capable hands down in med-bay so that he could sleep properly and be monitored carefully.

Everything that he had heard tonight about Lawrence Wolenczak would have to wait until Lucas was being taken care of and in a much better frame of mind. How long that might take, Bridger didn't know. He had to force himself to push it all aside for the time being and deal with what was happening right in front of him.

The current time was close to midnight. The Captain looked over at the aqua tube and saw the lighting was on, and he could see his dolphin friend hovering about in silent vigil as well. Moving himself out of the void that Lucas had created for himself, but still close enough to be able to see him, Nathan reached for his own PAL communicator and spoke into it.

Doctor Westphalen answered the page from the Ward Room. None of the crew had left and they had been waiting upon further instructions from Bridger.

“Kristin, I am going to try and bring him out to you in a few minutes,” Nathan spoke quietly. “He finally fell asleep, but even now it is not peaceful. He totally wore himself out emotionally, and it was incredibly hard to watch and listen to, but right now I have to do what I can. I doubt his little cat nap is going to last long; even now he is still grimacing in pain. He is leaning with his back against the wall, and probably pulling at those stitches you put in.”

“We were able to hear everything that happened between you in the Ward Room, Nathan,” Kristin warned him, emotion coming through in her own voice at the distress and new revelations that they had overheard.

“Everything?” the Captain asked with concern, trying to think about how Lucas would feel and react to that piece of news. The devastation from revealing what was going on just to him alone in this cabin had been plain enough to see on his face already tonight.

“He is completely exhausted. He ran out of whatever stamina was keeping him going over the past couple of hours. For the moment, I just want him to know that he is not alone.”

“I will be ready in med-bay when you both arrive,” Kristin assured him, able to hear the worry he held for the teenager's physical and mental condition. She had the same fears herself. They all did.

“Let me talk to Ben for a moment please,” Nathan requested.

“Yes, Sir,” Krieg answered, the man's voice portraying what everybody was feeling. A sense of outrage and helplessness that they wanted to correct, but scarcely knew where to begin.

“Make sure that the corridors from this cabin to med-bay are completely empty when I do move him,” Nathan instructed. “I don't know what his state of mind is going to be yet, but whatever it is, he doesn't need any kind of audience. It might be better if you all just stay in the Ward Room for now until he is back under Kristin's care.”

“Understood, Sir,” Ben agreed, handing the communicator back to Kristin and preparing to assist the Captain in anyway possible.

“You all just heard what the Captain asked, and it might be best for the moment that everybody wait here, until he manages to move Lucas back to med-bay,” he relayed back to those crew members seated around the table. “After that we just take one step at a time until we hear from him or the doctor herself.”

Commander Ford and others nodded in agreement. They recognized that the fewer people involved for now the better.

Putting away the communicator he held, the Captain pondered what his next move was going to be. He really didn't want to wake Lucas, but knew that he couldn't leave him the way he was much longer either.

Moving back to where the teenager had sequestered himself, and crouching down in front of him, gauging for a few moments what he might be dealing with. Even the need to interrupt what little relief he was receiving right at the moment seemed unfair.

Nathan reached out and moved a thumb softly and gently down his right cheek to see if the boy would respond to his touch. He was rewarded when Lucas opened his eyes briefly. The teenager started to close them again, but not before recent events and memories of angry words being shouted slowly started filtering into his tired brain. He turned his head, looking back at the Captain.

Whether it was tiredness or something else, the teenager didn't shrink away from the man being so close this time. But the expression on his face was plain to see. He didn't want to talk any more about his father, his past, or anything in general.

The teenager lifted his right hand to his face, rubbing at it tiredly, sighing audibly as he tried to wake himself up more. Bridger could see that the blood on his hand and down his arm from the I.V. was dried and thankfully had stopped. He wasn't sure if Kristin would be wanting to put a new one in somewhere, but she would make that decision according to what was best for Lucas.

The groan of pain said everything to Nathan, “Come on, let's get you off this floor for a few minutes,” he suggested, pulling the blanket back up around his shoulders, but as soon as the teenager tried to sit up, it fell down again. An involuntary shiver ran through him.

“Whose idea exactly was this again?” the teenager asked plainly as the stitches in his back protested at any movement. “Oh that is right, mine. My bad,” answering his own question with half a genuine smirk.

Bridger tried to give a small smirk of his own in return. It was the only thing he could do to stop his own true emotions from showing, but Lucas didn't deserve or need to see any of them at the moment. It was either a smirk or white hot anger, so he chose the same one as the teenager.

Lucas was trying to quash any fears that the Captain might have about what had been shared with him about his home life. Bridger definitely appreciated the effort, but seeing it directed at him through eyes that were at half-mast and punctuated with grunts of pain the teenager was trying to mask; the attempt of trying to lighten the mood he was hoping to achieve was lost and fell very flat.

The Captain used the palm of his hand and placed it gently against the teenager's forehead, trying to determine if the fever he had felt earlier was still present. The unnatural warmth was still present, as was the shivering, despite the blanket. Time to get the boy some decent medical care, and hopefully this time around he wouldn't be in such a hurry to object or leave.

Nathan was prepared to lift him off the floor once more like he had done earlier if that was what was required, but even with his body protesting loudly, Lucas was determined that he wasn't going to allow the Captain to carry him like a helpless invalid this time around.

With his brain definitely not firing on all cylinders, fatigue was taking its toll on what he needed to think about right now. “Where are we going?” Lucas asked with confusion, as he started trying to pull himself up off the floor, feeling a supportive hand from the Captain holding onto his right arm near the elbow.

“Back to Kristin to take a look at your stitches,” Nathan answered, wanting to be honest, but waiting to see what level of protest and defiance he was going to be met with.

The exhaustion that he had spoken about to Kristin was in the forefront, as Lucas managed to pull himself to his knees firstly, and then with a great deal of effort, to his feet. He made a grab for the small table he had been standing beside earlier.

“I don't know if I can do this,” he admitted truthfully. The statement could have been about any number of reasons after everything that had been exchanged, but at the moment his only focus was about being able to put one foot in front of the other without falling over.

Lucas could feel the blanket being draped around his shoulders now that he was standing upright, but he held some serious concerns about his leg being able to support his weight and allow him to walk.

“I will be right beside you the whole way,” Bridger promised.

The pain he was currently experiencing was real enough. Trying to take a deep breath, Lucas had to close his eyes as he was met with resistance and started coughing. He could really use a drink of water right about now, but didn't think there was any about, so didn't voice his need.

“No stairs please,” the teenager pleaded as he took the first tentative and shaky step forward.

“We will take the back route today,” Nathan assured him, but not sure how much of the brief conversation he was following.

By the time the two of them had made it to the hatch door, and out into the corridor, Lucas was grimacing in pain with a deep frown appearing on his face.

Once outside in the corridor, stubbornness set in again and Lucas pulled his arm away from Bridger, determined that he was going to make the distance on his own. The barriers were beginning to build themselves up around him again already after only a few steps outside of his cabin.

Bridger had to concede the battle a little, choosing to stay as close as the teenager would allow, who was making the return journey on sheer will power and resilience. Nathan had to silently wonder how often Lucas had found himself having to rely on his own independence for it to become such a strong defence mechanism.

Thankfully, Ben had kept to the plan about making sure the corridor was completely empty. The time of night was probably also a factor with many of the other crew members and staff in their own cabins sleeping. Krieg had wanted to be near med-bay when his friend finally made it back, but erred on the side of caution, and went to the teenager's cabin, wanting to to collect some fresh clothes for Lucas. At least that would have him doing something useful.

* * *

Lucas and Bridger reached the science department, and were almost at med-bay. The teenager's steps were getting a little more unsteady again, and the Captain had to marvel as how strong willed he was being. His sub-conscious must have kicked in a little as well as they reached the door way, his brain briefly reminding himself that he didn't want to be there.

Physically though he was done, and his body's need to rest overrode his brain's warnings, making him take that last step inside. By the time he approached the bed he had occupied previously, he didn't seem to notice that Bridger was holding onto his right arm again in case he faulted.

The bed awaiting him was the same, but had been freshly made with new sheets and clean blankets, with all signs of blood splatter removed. He tentatively sat down on the edge of the bed, trying to collect his thoughts. He had yet to utter a word or notice Kristin standing only a short distance away.

A mobile table was located at the end of the bed, and on top of it rested a food tray. There was a glass of juice and a glass of water on it, and something smelling inviting on a small plate. Without hesitating, he reached out with his bloodied arm for the water and slowly drank it, putting the empty glass back.

It was only now that he dared to look up, waiting for the scathing words to come from Kristin about his foolishness. He had yet to learn that she had heard everything he had spoken. He thought she was still cross with him about the argument he had with her before leaving med-bay without permission.

“S-sorry,” he mumbled the single word apology towards the doctor, not having any other excuse that he could think of right at this moment to explain his actions. He knew it was very inadequate after what he had done.

Kristin stepped forward, making sure she was wearing her best understanding face. She didn't need him to say anything at the moment. She could hear his physical pain and could see the fatigue multiplying by the second.

“Let's just take care of you for the moment,” she said gently. Although he didn't answer, she saw he had somewhat resigned himself to being under her care again for now.

Kristin handed him a small medicine cup containing two white tablets, “They will help relieve your pain, for a little while,” she offered him. There was a pause for a moment, as he looked at the medication and her, deciding what he wanted to do. She had been expecting him to ask what they were, but a small window of trust opened between them that she would know what he needed and the correct dosage.

Bridger and the doctor were both pleased when he accepted the pills, and used the glass of juice to wash them down with. They could see the inner battle still raging within himself, but he wasn't quite capable of strongly objecting to anything at the moment, or causing more of a fuss.

Finishing the juice, Lucas picked up the small spoon beside the plate and stabbed at the food that was there, picking up some and placing it in his mouth.

“The chef sent it from the kitchen, it is cinnamon custard,” Kristin informed him, watching as he took two more mouthfuls. He must have finally felt hungry enough to attempt it without needing to be forced or pressured to do so, both adults thought to themselves. Neither of them wanted to interrupt him from doing so and were happy to see him eating.

The texture was soft and the taste was pleasant enough. Later he would let the chef know that he had liked it and would try it again.

Once the food was consumed, and the juice, he pushed the mobile table away from the end of the bed. He wanted to lie down on the soft mattress, but the doctor spoke to him first before he could do so.

“I just want to take a look at my handiwork on your back and make sure that everything is still in place,” Kristin requested.

Lucas nodded slowly at her words, feeling her pull the blanket down from around his shoulders. He could feel her hands on his back, and arched away from the discomfort on more than one occasion, signalling how painful the sutures and bruising still were.

By now, Bridger had moved around to the opposite side of the bed so that the teenager could see him, watching the boy's posture change as fatigue still controlled his emotions and movements.

“Thankfully it looks like you didn't undo any of my work,” Kristin commented, relieved to see that the stitches were still intact and the dressings themselves were mostly undisturbed. There was no sign of fresh bleeding, or swelling or redness, which was a very good outcome.

The bruising on his shoulder and hip were standing out against the paler skin but there wasn't a real lot the doctor could do about that now. She suspected the colour would change and perhaps even darker further over the next couple of days.

Lucas grimaced in pain again, a deep frown appearing on his face, dragging his legs up onto it, and pulling his body down onto the left side. He was facing the wall again, grimacing at the pain, too early for the medication to be having any lasting effects. He didn't know if the doctor was going to be poking or prodding him more if he was in this position, but didn't really care at the moment.

With him laying on his left side, Kristin was able to take a dampened cloth and proceeded to carefully begin washing away the dried blood from his lower right arm and hand. With him accepting the water and juice, and eating a little, she was cautiously optimistic about not having to attach a second I.V.

Kristin kept a watchful eye on his face as she tendered to his arm, with tiredness clearly visible, she couldn't help but draw the same conclusions as Bridger about how young he appeared. The pain was only exaggerating his age and vulnerability. He didn't react at all to her administrations or offer any conversation.

A shiver ran through his body, and Bridger drew the blanket up around him, waiting for him to fall asleep, but it seemed that the teenager was having trouble letting go and allowing himself to rest. Fear was still a strong influencing factor, despite what he had promised him.

Nathan had taken a hold of his left hand, and as he had done back in his cabin, was gently rubbing the back of it in slow rhythmic circles, hopefully to help him relax, and to give some silent reassurance.

“What happens now?” came the first question, but as he asked the question, his eyes were slowly closing finally. He forced them open again and looked directly at the Captain, waiting for an answer.

“Nothing that you don't want it to,” Bridger said quietly, maintaining eye contact but positive that any complex conversation would have to wait.

Kristin was now finished cleaning his arm and hand, and had applied a small covering to the needle entry mark itself. She suspected there may be some bruising on the back of his hand by morning given his determination to rip it out. The doctor was attempting to be as quiet as she could to allow her patient to drift off to sleep, and was grateful that Nathan was present to assist.

Despite that, Lucas opened his eyes again, fighting the pull of sleep, his senses dulled, but remaining somewhat alert.

“Go to sleep and rest,” Bridger cajoled softly. “We will talk later.”

Just as he thought that might be achieved, Ben appeared at the doorway with one of Lucas's changes of clothes in his hand. The noise of someone approaching had caused Lucas to jump a little again and he was trying to turn his head and looking back over his shoulder to see who it was.

Ben whispered an apology to Kristin at the intrusion and could see that his friend was still trying his hardest not to go to sleep and didn't want to give in, no matter what the Captain was promising him. The two of them stood near the doorway, knowing that Nathan had been much more successful today so far than either of them at getting through to the over-tired boy.

It wasn't just the expression on his face, the small tremors of fear he could detect, only caused Bridger more concern. He could also feel the teenager's hand gripping his own very tightly.

“Captain, he cannot find out that you know,” Lucas pleaded with desperation saturating the sentence, the muscles in his arm tensing slightly again as his brain tried to drag itself out of the fog and make him think about what the consequences of what would happen when his father found out. The brief conversation was only shared between the two of them.

The fear was so real on the boy's face, Nathan fought to keep his own expression calm. Lucas's eyes drifted closed again, and the battle was almost lost.

With them opening halfway again not a second later, Bridger lowered his voice, “You are safe in here,” he whispered, finally realising what words the boy needed to hear coming from him.

This time Lucas's eyes slowly closed, whether it was the medication helping to ease his pain, the comfortable pillows underneath his head, the warmth of the blankets covering him or the exhaustion finally taking centre stage and settling in. His face beginning to relax and his breathing deepening as tiredness wound its way into every muscle fibre and nerve synapse and sleep took over.

After a few moments, the Captain's efforts were rewarded with the hand gripping his own releasing, as the teenager succumbed to the demand to rest. Nathan placed the sleep limp hand next to him onto the bed, and accepted the second blanket from Kristin, both of them draping it over the slumbering form.

* * *

Nathan stood up from the chair, but stayed beside the bed lost in his own thoughts. It took a hand on his own shoulder for him to turn around and see Kristin standing next to him, with a mix of emotions written across her own face.

Ben Krieg remained just inside the doorway, not wanting to interrupt whatever small amount of peace his new friend had found.

Kristin walked over to the light controls for the room, making them dimmer over that side of the room. She then joined the two men and the three of them moved out of earshot away from the teenager, so that any conversation that took place between them would not disturb Lucas.

“He certainly doesn't want to give one inch,” Bridger commented. “He has enough stubbornness and tenacity in spades. After tonight, I feel like I have run a marathon.”

“I cannot thank you enough, Nathan, for what you have done today,” Kristin praised. “You really have made a difference to him today, even though he may not be willing to completely accept it just yet.”

“Doc, I went to his cabin and fetched a fresh set of clothes for him, thinking he might be looking for them later,” Ben said, handing over the garments. “They were the only ones I could find inside his bag.”

“Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Ben, I am sure Lucas will appreciate it a little later,” Kristin answered. “You have done some great work yourself today.”

“Sorry, but to me it doesn't feel like any of it was anywhere good enough,” Ben remarked, thinking of the up-hill battle that they were facing.

“I agree with you on that point, but I need the both of you to go and get some sleep for a few hours, because I may need you both later when he starts to wake,” Kristin stated.

“All of us are more than a little overwhelmed by what we all heard today, and that includes the other crew members who were listening in the Ward Room.”

“None of us are in the frame of mind needed to make any concrete decisions right now,” Kristin continued. “We all need to give ourselves enough time to process our own emotions, just like Lucas.”

“Are you going to wait down here with him for now?” Bridger asked Kristin.

“For several hours at least,” the doctor confirmed. “Don't worry about me, lots of years of practical training through various hospitals prepares us for long nights and less sleep. I will rest a little later once I am satisfied that Lucas is getting enough himself.”

“Please let me know if you need me at any time, once I leave here,” Bridger requested. “I doubt sleep is going to come any time soon for me, but I will try, for you and him.”

“The same goes for me,” Krieg weighed in.

Kristin watched the two men leave the med-bay area, knowing that both of them were reluctant to do so.

She quietly walked back over to the bed where Lucas lay asleep. Silently asking for his forgiveness of not knowing the underlying cause for his reluctance and defensiveness.

“You have people who care about you, Lucas,” she whispered, finding herself adjusting and smoothing the covers to feel that she was at least doing something. “Please let us help you.”

* * *

Upon returning to his own Captain's quarters and closing the door, the silence in the room was deafening to Bridger. He found himself barely able to stand still in one spot or allow everything that had happened to filter through his brain. The pull to go back to med-bay and just sit in a chair beside Lucas was very strong, but with Kristin relying on him, he had to push the desire to do so aside.

When he had been in this very room a few days ago, having the epiphany about Lucas being on-board and how he felt about that, the words that had echoed in his mind had been his own. About what new challenges and responsibilities they were all facing, with him most of all due to his position as Captain.

Now, the only voice he heard was that of Lucas. Scared, hurting, shouting out in frustration and pleading to be left alone, not knowing which way to turn, and feeling like there was no-one he was able to depend on. And then came the horrific truth that had been revealed, and who was responsible for his fear and pain and sense of isolation. A trust that had been broken between parent and child. Nathan was still coming to terms with how any person could allow themselves to devolve to such a level.

Mistakes, oh he had made enough of his own with Robert that was true. But never once did he ever think of doing anything that would cause his son to be afraid of him. To make him feel unwanted, mistreated and a burden. He would have rather hurt himself before he would have allowed that to happen.

It boggled the mind how any parent could break that most sacred of promises, to hurt their own child. How long had it been going on for? According to Lucas's own comments, admissions and actions, much longer than any of them dared to guess at or think about. The devastation that had appeared on the teenager's face about his darkest fear being found out kept haunting his current thoughts.

“ _...every day when I am under his roof. Or anywhere for that matter, and a lot of the time more than once a day. That it never stops?”_ Those were the words Lucas had shouted back at him.

Not just on odd occasions, or infrequently. But daily, and sometimes more.

“ _....those beatings would still be happening right now, without any of you finding out about them or being able to do a damn thing to stop him.”_

What if they hadn't found out about the abuse at all, and just assumed that the boy hadn't wanted to come back to SeaQuest? He didn't know how he could have dealt with that knowledge if they had found out about the abuse happening after Lucas had left and not been in a position to know about it happening or to stop it. That wasn't too far from where they found themselves now.

As the Captain drifted off into a light doze of his own about 2 a.m. in the morning, his main focus was waiting on the difficult video-link conversation he would be having with long-time friend Bill Noyce.

Until some very hard questions could be asked of Lawrence Wolenczak, they were somewhat in limbo about Lucas's future. But Bridger was just as determined now as he had been when he promised the teenager to protect him and that he wasn't going to be sent back to his father.

* * *

Commander Ford and the other senior crew members who had been in the Ward Room during the later half of the previous night, had dispersed back to their own cabins not long after Bridger had managed to convince Lucas to return to Doctor Westphalen's medical care.

None of them knew that today would bring on that front, but all of them were prepared to help where deemed necessary. The details of the old and new injuries that Lucas currently had were a difficult pill to swallow. He was too young to have found himself on receiving end of such treatment, when he didn't deserve it.

Jonathan Ford, Tim and Miguel resumed their own early morning shifts, wanting to give the Captain some much needed rest. They knew that he would play a pivotal role in some of the outcomes during the next twenty four hours. Doctor Westphalen as well.

Ben Krieg had slept for a few hours after returning to his cabin, but found himself wandering onto the Bridge much earlier than needed for the usual commencement of his shift. The normal charismatic and friendly Morale Officer, was much more subdued, and they all knew what the cause was. The man needed to keep his mind busy, and work seemed to be the best way to do that at this hour of the day.

Chief Crocker and Commander Hitchcock were not due to start their own shifts today until later in the morning. Ford was aware that the Captain and Krieg's rosters may need altering during the next several days to suit the needs of their youngest crew member. Ben hadn't asked for or sought out any special privileges, but would be given every consideration due to how close he was becoming to Lucas and his success at getting the teenager to talk to him during the past week.

It was only half an hour into Ben's early presence on the Bridge, that Tim O'Neill was fielding a video-link call from U.E.O. headquarters.

“Commander, I have Admiral Noyce calling for Captain Bridger,” Tim announced.

“I am going to bring a cup of coffee to Doctor Westphalen,” Krieg announced, knowing that he could no longer stay where he was without knowing about his friend.

Ford knew that the Captain had been waiting to talk to the Admiral. “Patch it through to his quarters, please Lieutenant,” Ford ordered.

“Aye, Sir,” O'Neill responded dutifully.

No doubt the Captain would share what he felt was necessary with them at a later time. Or that is what they hoped he would do.

* * *

Ben had collected two cups of coffee from the mess hall, and now made his way through to the science department, specifically headed for the med-bay area.

“Knock, knock,” Ben whispered from the doorway towards the doctor who was seated at a small desk in the room.

“Lieutenant,” Kristin smiled tiredly at him, glancing at the sleeping teenager as she went to talk to Ben.

“You didn't need to do that,” she said softly. “But I do thank you for your consideration. I definitely needed this.”

“Rough night?” Krieg asked with concern, looking over her head towards Lucas.

“It hasn't been the restful night that I had hoped for,” the doctor admitted. “He is sleeping now, but has only drifted off again a few minutes ago. It is not the solid six or seven hours sleep that he had gotten in here the first time before heading up-world. At the moment it is too broken and not deep enough, and then he wakes himself up, and turns to look over at the door where you are now. At first he appears to be a little confused as to where he is, and it takes time for him to settle again.”

“That has been the schedule for most of the night anyway, but I didn't want to alert you or Nathan yet until it becomes absolutely necessary. He has drunk some more water on two separate occasions.”

“I was going to visit, but I think I will leave it until later,” Krieg offered, a little disappointment creeping into his voice. “I don't want to disturb what little rest he is now getting.”

“These short bouts and snatches of sleep are probably going to make him more tired, not less,” Kristin reported. “I doubt he has gotten more than a couple of solid hours overall of the sleep he needs since you and Nathan left.”

“Have you seen the Captain this morning?”

“Tim O'Neill was just putting the call from Admiral Noyce through to him,” he informed her, both of them knowing that the conversation was going to be a difficult one for Bridger.

“You call me if you need me, please,” Ben said. “I will be on day shift for most of the day, and will come back from time to time as I can.”

“You have my word,” Kristin promised.

* * *

Captain Bridger took a few minutes to hear the page from Tim O'Neill. At some point during the early morning hours his doze had deepened into sleep.

He scrubbed at his face, running a hand across his forehead, forcing himself to wake. He then heard the page through the video-link, and got up off his bed to answer it.

“Bridger,” he answered, looking over at the clock and noting that he must have been asleep for the best part of four hours.

“I am sorry to disturb you so early this morning, Captain, but I have Admiral Noyce coming through from his office,” O'Neill informed him.

“Thank you, Mr O'Neill. Please inform Commander Ford that I want this meeting to proceed without interruption. And please ensure that it is on a secure line,” Bridger ordered.

“Understood, Sir,” Tim answered. He had wanted to say _'good luck'_ to the Captain, but decided to err against it and carried out the request without any further delay or comment.

A few moments later, Admiral Bill Noyce's face appeared on the screen.

“Good Morning, Nathan,” he greeted his friend cheerfully, but the expression on his face soon changed.

Nathan took up a seat at the small desk meant for the holographic screen. Normally he would stand to talk to the Admiral, but he needed to keep his own emotions in check as much as possible if he was going to be able to get through this without shouting. And even now, there was no guarantee of that.

“Bill,” Nathan returned the one-worded reply. There was nothing _'good'_ about this morning for him to add any further embellishment.

Bill Noyce took a closer look at the man sitting before him, “You look like you could use a few more hours sleep, Nathan.”

“I apologize for the time of day Nathan, but the message I received from you said that you were wanting to speak to me urgently? I am sorry that this is the earliest I could get back to you,” Noyce commented.

“Before I get to that, I will give you my oral report on the progress of the vessel, because the other matters are going to take some time, and they will take some digesting,” Bridger informed Noyce cryptically.

“Alright Nathan,” Noyce agreed, “I thought Commander Ford and Hitchcock would have ironed out most of the kinks by now?”

“Hardly,” Bridger said with the first sign of an edge to his voice.

“There are very few vessels as unique as the SeaQuest, and any with a combined crew number of that size go through teething problems, Nathan, you have been around long enough to know that,” Noyce placated, thinking that any problems might be getting made into mountains when they didn't need to be.

“I have, but I wouldn't call the problems that my crew and I have been facing in relation to the vessel, teething problems,” Bridger responded. “The usual fights between the military and science departments could have been guessed at without too much trouble. But some of the insubordination, and harassment that has already been happening on-board is very concerning for this early in a tour. Although nothing we cannot handle at this time.”

“Are you needing any assistance from me at this stage?” Noyce voiced.

“No, at this stage, I have proposed with Jonathan and Katie that some training programs need to be drawn up to include all military personnel and scientific staff. They will be mandatory with no exceptions about completing them,” Nathan explained. “I want the military to be reminded of their obligations whilst on-board, and entrench in the scientific ranks that being on this vessel is a privilege and not a Sunday picnic.”

“You and Jonathan have my total support for any initiatives that you want to introduce, Nathan,” Noyce said, inwardly thinking that this was exactly the reason he had asked the man to come back from his island.

Nathan's way of dealing with personnel was quite different than other more modern Captains or Commanders and his initial hands-on approach often culminating in much better outcomes. But the results usually spoke volumes. Any minor hiccups now, would make the end game worthwhile when they were finally achieved, and the crew became more familiar with their day to day duties and responsibilities.

“In the last two days since the scientific community has increased, there have been more glitches with the digital door locks and computer equipment on-board than the technicians can find a solution to or handle,” Bridger informed the Admiral. “We have had staff locked out of their own cabins, but also locked in with no way of getting out.”

“Locked in their own cabins?” Noyce asked with his own concern growing about the technical issues beginning to surface.

“The worst occasion was when someone was injured and they were locked on the inside and we couldn't get the door open,” Bridger informed him. “It took the power being cut to a whole section of the vessel for us to reach them.”

“I hope their injuries were not made worse by not being able to get to them?” Noyce enquired.

“It was Lucas, and thankfully we were eventually able to get him out,” Nathan remarked. “It was only because of his determined efforts that we were able to come up with a successful solution the other door locks open in the first place.”

“Young Lucas was injured?” Noyce picked up, frowning a little at this news.

“Please Bill, I will explain to you about him in just a minute, but you have to let me do it in my own way, or I will never get through this,” Bridger pleaded.

“Alright, Nathan, please continue,” Noyce replied.

“Jonathan Ford has spoken to Lucas about helping correct the door locks on-board. As a conservative estimate, we are talking more than two hundred doors, so it is going to take some time to rectify the problem as a whole.”

“Two hundred?” Noyce questioned, thinking that the number was quite large. “And you mention about there are other glitches as well,” he added with dismay.

“The suggestion has already been made that you should be considering asking for a refund on this elaborate purchase,” Bridger said, but there was no laughter behind the joke, like there had been at the time it had been first made.

It was Bill himself that could see such a drastic change in Nathan's usually calm exterior, and it was beginning to unnerve him enough to make comment about it.

“Forget anything else about the SeaQuest and any technical problems for now, Nathan, tell me what you are really calling me about,” he requested.

Nathan smiled a little to himself, thinking that he had been able to mask his expressions and feelings, but apparently not well enough it would seem. His old friend knew him too well.

“Bill, before I go any further, please make sure that this your office door is closed and your video-link connection to me is secured and confidential,” Bridger requested.

A raised eyebrow came from Noyce, not knowing Nathan to be a stickler for such strict security measures being in place. The fact that he was specifically asking for a secure line drew his attention the most. He could not recall a time in the past when his friend had made such a request during their four-decade long working relationship.

* * *

Bill Noyce made sure that Nathan was watching as he got up from his office desk to ensure that his office door was firmly shut and locked, preventing anybody from entering without knocking on the door first.

Once he returned to his desk, he made sure that the correct protocols were put into place that any of the conversation between the two of them, could not and would not be overheard by anybody else.

“Done, Nathan,” Noyce promised. He was about to prompt his friend into continuing, but looking at Nathan, he paused and allowed the man as much time as he needed, just like he requested.

Instead of remaining seated at the desk, now Nathan rose from his own chair and began pacing back and forth on the carpet of his own quarters.

“Please let me tell you as best I can,” Bridger repeated, looking down at his hands as he spoke as he tried to think of the best place to bring up such a difficult subject.

“Nathan....,” Bill said quietly, thinking that he had not been many occasions that he had seen his old friend this rattled before. Not since the deaths of Carol and Robert at least, and he hoped that those memories were not haunting him. Maybe forcing him to give up his seclusion on an island and bringing him back to civilisation and into military service had been in his best interests after all.

“I am going to ask you a question first, Bill, and I need you to answer me truthfully and without any hesitation,” Bridger began. “In fact, I have not wanted you to be so honest about anything else in a long time.”

“Alright, Nathan, you have my commitment,” Noyce answered, not knowing how else he could lessen the man's apprehension.

“For the record, Lucas has no knowledge of this meeting between yourself and me today, but I do intend to advise him of it later. I have already promised him that there will be no secrets between us, and I intend to keep to that.”

“How well do you...., no that isn't quite right,” he started, but then changed his mind. “How much input did you have with the agreement that you had drawn up between the U.E.O. and Lawrence Wolenczak concerning Lucas's placement on this vessel?”

“Giving you a little trouble already is he? Remember I did try and warn you...,” Noyce began to say, but the look on Nathan's face soon made him forget that train of thought.

“That is not how I wanted you to answer,” Bridger pushed back, showing a little annoyance at the man's ' _brush-it-aside'_ attitude. But it wasn't totally Bill's fault, as he reminded himself that he hadn't been able to tell him what had happened yet.

“I never want to hear you bring up the issue of Lucas and him needing discipline or being trouble in the same sentence again in my presence,” Nathan ordered, making it clear that he wasn't going to accept any argument of any kind to the contrary. “And I don't want to hear one word from you or anybody else about him needing to be kept in line either.”

Noyce could see the agitation in Bridger begin to grow and the pacing back and forth increase.

“What has happened, Nathan?”

“Have you ever met his father in person?”

“No, I cannot say that I have. Any business we conducted was done via video-link just like you and I are doing now. Any legal documentation was handled through his lawyer. From what I observed, a large man who has a very business like persona and any interaction has been strictly professional. The man travels quite a bit for business and it was difficult to arrange meetings with him in the first place to complete the arrangement.”

“Yes, that last part has been brought up in discussions with me as well,” Nathan commented, the edge to his voice sharpening.

“Right at this very moment, Lucas is in med-bay under Kristin's care. She would want to be here this morning to make her thoughts known, except she is needed down there more at the moment.”

“Is Lucas alright?” Noyce asked, his earlier concern about hearing the boy was injured resurfacing.

Perhaps that was the reason for Nathan's current unsettled mood and snappy attitude. The man had always displayed strong connections and emotions when it came to handling animals and dealing with children.

“Physically, no he is not,” Bridger answered. “How he ended up in that condition, please let me go back to the beginning and explain. Because you deserve to have all the facts. None of what has happened to him has anything to do with glitches or problems with SeaQuest that we have been talking about.”

“It hasn't?” Noyce started to ask, but a sudden rebuking look from Nathan made him stop talking and just listen again.

“Right now I don't even want to speculate on how he is emotionally or what the prognosis is for his long-term psychological health,” Bridger added.

He was satisfied that his comments were having the desired affect of shock and confusion on the Admiral's face. Unfortunately he hadn't even begun to hear the worst of it yet.

* * *

“I know that you brought Lucas on-board with you just before you dragged me back here under false pretences,” Nathan stated, having no qualms about bringing up that little jab again about how he ended up on SeaQuest. Silently though now, a part of him was grateful that he had been persuaded.

“Did you or his father give any consideration at all as to why he was being assigned to such a project in the first place?” Bridger asked plainly. “Or even give one single thought about asking what he wanted to do. Or if he agreed to come here in the first place?

Noyce looked suitability uncomfortable with the line of questioning that was coming at him. “Look Nathan, at the time of beginning such an ambitious project, there were very few investors willing to shed the amount of money, or even be in a position to do so. We are talking hundreds of millions of dollars, and the U.E.O. wasn't able to fund such a unique opportunity on its own merits. Private funding was vital for it even getting off the ground.”

“That's so comforting to know, Bill, that dollar signs were dangled in front of you, and that was all it took to overlook the welfare of one fourteen year old teenager instead,” Bridger fumed, barely able to hold back a spew of other accusations that he wanted to make.

“Now just a minute, Nathan, I don't know what hornet has crawled under your hat today, but you are being totally unfair and unreasonable about the agreement that was drawn up,” Noyce defended. “The boy's father mentioned to me that he was real smart and had already finished high-school and college. He was looking to put his son somewhere he thought would give him the best start at a career, with the hope of instilling some discipline and responsibility in him at the same time.”

“Well, I hope that all the money that you received from him was worth the pain and suffering that Lucas is currently putting himself through,” Bridger remarked without the slightest bit of compassion in his voice at the man's justifications.

“Pain and suffering?” Noyce said, his voice suddenly changing and becoming laced full of concern for the boy's welfare. The Admiral didn't consider himself a tyrant or a bad person. He and his wife had no first-hand experience with kids of their own. However, he did object to his old friend accusing him of deliberately and knowingly putting the teenager in harms way.

Nathan had wanted to wait until later in his report to bring up the subject, but now he changed his mind. The Admiral deserved to know the worst first, then he could hear everything else that had occurred on-board up to this point.

“Lucas's father has been physically beating him, Bill,” Nathan said, his voice losing some of its impact as he struggled with himself to reveal the horrible truth. He had wanted to do it without emotion, but that clearly wasn't going to be possible. “How long it has been going on for, I have no idea, that part has not been shared with me yet.”

“Beating him?” Noyce said in total shock and dismay of his own. “Are you absolutely sure, Nathan? Lucas told you this?”

Unfortunately Bill Noyce knew the answer before he even asked his own question. This was the reason Nathan appeared tired and upset, and why he was carrying on with this current no nonsense stance.

“I have never had to listen or witness such a heart-wrenching display of hurt and emotion from someone his age before in all my life, Bill,” Bridger answered. I have seen the evidence for myself, and it is beyond shocking to say the very least.”

“And the fact that it has been happening at all didn't just come up in passing conversation. It only came up under extreme duress, when he felt he was being pushed and had no other choice.”

“Kristin will be able to show you the photographic evidence, but I can assure you, seeing it in a picture isn't the same as seeing it on him first-hand. Nor is hearing his grimaces of pain, or watching him causing himself more harm and distress because he has been desperately trying to keep everything hidden away. He is too afraid to speak up to anyone, even when it comes to asking for help.”

There were several moments of silence between the two men as Admiral Noyce tried to process everything he had been told, and Bridger sat back down at the desk after having to reveal such harrowing news to another person.

“Tell me everything from the beginning, Nathan, and please don't leave anything out,” Noyce instructed. This is where he put aside the professionalism of being an Admiral, and asked merely as a concerned friend.

* * *

“Before you go any further, please let me assure you that I never knew anything like that was happening. I wasn't privy to any details concerning his home life,” Bill stated. “Perhaps I should have been more diligent myself and finding out more before everything was finalised on paper.”

“I'll accept that, it doesn't seem that many of us knew anything about Lucas at all before he landed here,” Bridger agreed. “I am sorry if I sounded out of line a few minutes ago and was getting mad at you, Bill. I apologize for being too quick to jump to conclusions, and I shouldn't have insinuated that you would have gone ahead with any arrangement if you had known otherwise.”

“I remember the day he was on the launch with me that first took him to SeaQuest,” Noyce commented, thinking back and recalling what he could. “He got out of a private car, and his father wasn't present at that time. The boy barely spoke to me once he entered the launch whilst we made the journey to the vessel.”

“At the time I just put it down to him being a difficult teenager, and being a little resentful towards me for being there in the first place.”

“Commander Hitchcock has only informed myself and the crew as recently as yesterday, about how difficult it has been for her to get in contact with his father. And she has reported about there being some private travel arrangements put in place between the launches, the airport and his home,” Bridger informed him. “She hasn't met him face to face either, and confirmed that any dealings concerning Lucas were done with his personal secretary.”

“It was Lieutenant Ben Krieg that voiced about how long each trip was taking from his home in San Jose California to the pier. More than five hours each time and usually in the middle of the night. At first there was some hope that he had overnight accommodation to stay in after this flight had landed, but has since been discounted.”

“That day that you had the video-link conference with us all on the Bridge, and was congratulating Hitchcock about the new funding for her hyper-reality probe. Do you remember?” Bridger queried.

“I do remember, Lucas was there too, but he walked away in a bit of huff after I made the announcement,” Noyce recalled. “I was trying to praise his efforts of speaking to his father about important the probe was and that a fresh cash injection was needed.”

“From what little I have been told, his father was trying to drag information out of him about the probe. Trying to get his hands on classified information,” Bridger informed him. “Lucas tried to tell him that he didn't have access to such details, but his father wouldn't believe him. Why he was being so insistent on finding out about it is anybody's guess at this point.”

Noyce shifted position in his office chair again, leaning against the back of it, and running his hand nervously across his mouth. He could scarcely believe what he was only beginning to hear and comprehend.

“I guess under the circumstances then, his reaction at the time was fair understandable,” Noyce said as the acid in him stomach began giving him a hard time. “As you said, the probe is classified and strictly under wraps from anybody not directly associated with it. That would only be Commander Hitchcock herself and a handful of technicians directly under her supervision or those crew members who are assigned to duties on the Bridge.”

“When Lucas first came on-board, he was apprehensive and nervous, just like anybody would expect from someone coming to a new place,” Bridger started to explain. “Probably even more so for someone of his age, and far away from home, and with no real connections to the military or any of the crew members. He was trying to find his way around on his own.”

“Lucas feels like he is getting passed around like some kind of social experiment, with little or no say at all in what happens to him.”

“It wasn't long after you left, that I had the epiphany of a life-time right in this very room,” he continued. “One that I shared with Kristin at the time, and will confide with you here now about what we were left facing. Even without the current situation that encompasses me and everybody aboard this vessel, and I would even go so far as to include you to a certain degree as well, Bill.”

“He is someone else's child. And placing him here aboard the SeaQuest, placed an obligation on each and every one of us for that duration. But there is also much more at stake than that, and I doubt any of us even realise the number or individual skills that he will need to be taught whilst he is here.”

“Together as a collective community of military and scientific people, we have been given the temporary custody of a very bright, youthful and impressionable young man and be expected to take him under our supervision,” Bridger said, repeating similar sentiments that he had expressed to Kristin. “Now I would even add to that description even more and say, vulnerable and unpredictable person.”

“Becoming part of the crew, and being asked to live too far away from home, we are all going to be responsible for his health and well-being, just like a family. And the gravity and importance of that is only just beginning to truly hit home.”

“With being Captain of this vessel, any final decisions are left with me regarding everything that concerns him whilst he is living here. Kristin and I spoke briefly, and I was fairly undecided then whether I was ready to become a father figure again.”

Nathan had always felt he was a failure when it came to his son, and regretted the time that he had spent away from his family on active duty. He knew how Robert's disappearance and _presumed_ death had broken the man on every level. Being reported as “ _Missing In Action”_ and not being able to bring his son's body home for burial had left a bitter after-taste that would probably never fade away entirely.

From what Bill remembered over the years, being an only child, Nathan had always been a very caring father to Robert before he joined the military as a cadet. Social gatherings and military events had portrayed them as a happy family, and the man always displayed an endless amount of patience and understanding to children.

Noyce coughed a little at Nathan's statement about being a father again, and he truly hadn't considered the position that he was placing his long-time friend when he was searching for the best candidate for captaining the SeaQuest. He hadn't contemplated the awkwardness it might have created by persuading him to come back, and being responsible for and involved with the day to day activities and well-being for someone as young as Lucas.

Lost in his own thoughts for a minute, Noyce was brought back to the current problem by Nathan's next determined statement.

“After everything that has come to light during the previous week, and especially during the last twenty four hours, I am determined to do whatever it takes to protect him. I promised him that much.”

* * *

After making such a proclamation, Bridger backtracked, intending to start at the beginning and add to the already damning account of everything that had occurred as soon as Bill left the vessel.

“From the very first day he arrived here, there have been rumours and assumptions made about his purpose for being here. There was one person in particular that took it upon themselves to hurl threats and insults at Lucas without any provocation. He was told that he shouldn't be here, and that someone must have been pulling strings to allow him being here in the first place,” Bridger commented.

“It was Ben Krieg who hinted to me that someone his age may take some time to open up and feel comfortable around the other crew members. He has been great at trying to make friends with Lucas without having ulterior motives. He thought the best way to do that was to include him in the daily operations of the vessel. He genuinely cares about the boy and wants to make him feel welcome.”

“Most of us didn't know anything about him, what he liked, what he didn't like. Without being asked to, Ben has already been going to some extra lengths, just to find out the basics about him. It hasn't been easy, because Lucas has fought all the way about anybody finding out about him unless it was something he was willing to share.”

“Krieg?” Noyce said, trying to picture a face to the crew member that Nathan was mentioning.

“Lieutenant Benjamin Krieg. Our Supply and Morale Officer. He was in the same academy class with Robert. They were friends, although I do believe they did cause some antics back then,” Nathan remarked. “Speaking to Lucas himself a few days ago, he didn't mind being in his company at all, even with Ben probing him for information to help the rest of us get to know him a little better.”

“That is something at least,” Noyce commented. He was like Nathan and a little old school. Back during his own service aboard various vessels, the position of Morale Officer was not even thought of. But from what he was being told now, the right people being assigned under that title may just prove to be an asset.

“Jonathan thinks he is a little unorthodox when it comes to carrying out his duties, but so far I very pleased with his efforts and friendly nature.”

“After that little episode, I set up a small network of trusted people from my senior crew, in addition to Ben, who would keep a watchful eye out for Lucas,” Bridger said, “At that time we were still trying to identify the culprit and take some steps to prevent it happening again.”

“Is this what you were mentioning earlier about insubordination and harassment being present on-board already?” Noyce interjected, not happy himself to hear the state of affairs.

“Yes that was part of it, and that is when I instructed Jonathan to put into place the mandatory training program into practice for all staff on-board.”

“That was a prudent move on your part, Nathan, and I look forward to seeing Commander Ford's notes and recommendations on this program myself,” Noyce replied in praise at the man's calm approach to solving one problem, but also creating an environment that was beneficial to all staff.

“Well, it sounded good at the time, but it came about with its own set of hiccups too, and the same person was caught doing the exact same thing a second time, in a different area of the boat, the very next day. Again he was harassing Lucas and making him feel out of place,” Nathan replied with annoyance bubbling to the surface. According to him, the gossip getting around on-board was that he was seen as being nothing more than the ' _Captain's Pet'._

“Such childish..... uncalled for.........,” were the words that he caught the man muttering to himself to deal with the anger that was emerging.

“I hope by now you found out the identity of this person and have dealt with them accordingly?” Noyce questioned, he could see how much those words may have hurt Lucas, but also infuriated Nathan.

“This time we were fortunate enough that there were witnesses that could come forth with a name, and add to the earlier statement from the first incident,” Nathan answered, making himself calm again so he could continue rationally. “The person was also being disrespectful to Kristin and her staff.”

“It looks like this bad egg slipped through the system,” Noyce commented, thinking that there should have been measures put in place at the time of recruitment to stop this type of rogue crew member becoming part of the U.E.O.

“Yes, I would say so, but to her credit, Kristin had no intentions of backing down to him or accepting his condescending assessment of her or the science department,” Bridger agreed with the Admiral's assumption. “She dealt with the situation swiftly before I was even made aware of it occurring again.”

“Kristin was fully prepared to defend Lucas, even without him knowing about it, and has declared that he belongs to her scientific department. She made sure that the person wouldn't be carrying out such behaviour again in her presence whilst on-board.”

“I was under the impression that she was a formidable woman when I first met her myself, and asked her to take up the position as doctor,” Noyce stated. “Doctor Westphalen comes with very high credentials and some outstanding references.”

“Kristin has been making some great steps of her own to make Lucas feel like part of the crew, and I think her own intellectual ability to stimulate his thirst for knowledge will be of great help. In addition to that, being a doctor she has a very caring nature, and as a woman is beginning to feel a little parental herself towards him.”

“That is something pleasing to hear,” Noyce commented, having spent a great deal of time in selecting and subsequently filling the vacant position.

The Admiral had hoped she would be someone who could communicate with Nathan on a grass roots level, given their common interest in conservation and the science fields. He had been aware that the strongly opinionated woman might challenge people like Jonathan Ford and Katie Hitchcock, who had expressed a different mindset when it came to leadership and engaging with people in a military environment.

“The punishment for this person has already been drawn up and handed down by Commander Ford, with me taking a step back and signing off on his recommendations only as a matter of convenience,” Nathan informed the Admiral. “Accordingly, and in line with protocol and guidelines set out by the U.E.O, that crew members has been handed some stiff sanctions and will be removed from SeaQuest on the next available launch and will not be allowed to participate in the upcoming tour.”

“I let Jonathan make the call on the specific details of the sanctions, because I felt I was already too closely involved because the actions had been against Lucas, and I wanted everything to appear impartial and above board,” Bridger added. “I would have preferred him to be removed permanently, but he has been given the option of redeeming himself by completing some stringent programs before he will even be considered for any future tour aboard SeaQuest.”

* * *

“Nathan, I cannot begin to believe how difficult this was for you to discover, but how did you find out about the boy being beaten?” Noyce asked.

“Before we get that far, Bill, first you need to hear about the first time we found out that Lucas was hurt, and it wasn't by any willingness on his part,” Nathan answered. “From what Kristin has been able to determine, he must have been walking around for a couple of days at least, hiding his pain and discomfort from us all.

“He was hurt more than once?” Noyce asked, unable to hide the shock at this new piece of information.

“Yes, but the first time we cannot attribute to his father. I was only talking yesterday morning about setting up an investigation as to how it came to happen and the circumstances surrounding it,” Bridger answered, leaving the Admiral with a confused expression and more unspoken questions.

“And I can see the look on your face already, but trust me, up until late last night we had no idea of why he would do that either,” he added, as his voice trailing off.

“When Lucas came on-board, there was no medical history based on him. Kristin brought up the subject directly to him casually, that informed him that she would need to create a file for him, including some medical information and immunisation status. Lucas was adamant that he wouldn't be co-operating in any way shape or form, or volunteering for any of the basic tests that she wanted to carry out.”

“Kristin tried to assure him that the tests and information were routine and necessary, and that she could approach his normal doctor or his parents to obtain the information. Lucas told her that his father would be even less accommodating to a request of that nature, even if she could contact him. Now we have a better understanding of why.”

Nathan stood up and began pacing back and forth as he spoke again, needing to keep moving to stop the agitation building up within him.

“Lucas was apprehensive about going to the mess hall to eat proper meals with the crew, and we didn't find this out for a few days. Just like everything else,” Bridger explained. “He confided in Ben later that he had felt awkward on one such attempt, and that he didn't know what there was going to be eat on here. None of us were aware of what the food likes or dislikes were for a teenager.”

“Kristin was able to find out, much to his displeasure, that he has been surviving on eating snacks from a few secret jars that he brought on-board with him, and has stashed about his cabin. We found one of the jars almost empty yesterday morning.”

“Been a while since either of us have been a teenager, or even eaten on a submarine on a regular basis, Nathan,” Noyce pointed out plainly, making fun at both their ages. “And all of your current crew members are certainly past their adolescent years.” Bill frowned a little as he realised it was yet another consideration that he hadn't fully thought through when placing someone as young as Lucas on SeaQuest.

 _What did teenagers his age eat on a regular basis?_ He had absolutely no idea.

“Once again, Mr Krieg has been most diligent in this area, and hopefully we will make a bit more progress with that over time,” Nathan said with a bit more positivity in his voice. “He informed me yesterday morning that he has ordered anything teenager friendly that he could lay his hands on, and there are now copious amounts stored in the galley kitchens and freezers. I have spoken to the head chef, Don on this matter as well to ensure that everyone on-board has access to a menu, not just Lucas.”

“In addition to not eating on a regular basis, he hasn't been sleeping enough for good health either,” Bridger informed the Admiral.

“Not much more than a day after your announcement on the Bridge, Ben Krieg and I found him standing in the corridor. He was so unsteady on his feet he could barely stand up, and then before either of us were ready, and without warning, he collapsed into my arms.”

“He was unconscious and couldn't tell us what was wrong with him. His health had deteriorated dramatically within hours,” Nathan said, wringing his hands together as he recalled how he felt at that moment, and the concern he had held at the time resurfacing. “I haven't had to look after someone while they were sick, since Carol's illness on my island.”

Noyce could see how close Nathan was feeling guilty about what had happened the teenager and that he hadn't noticed the signs of trouble for himself. The man usually prided himself on being observant and being able to pick up on trouble before it eventuated. But not in relation to these matters it would seem.

“Luckily for us on that occasion, Kristin was on the spot at the right time, and took control,” Nathan said, continuing to tell the story. “We managed to get him back to med-bay, but we still didn't know at that point what was going on with him. Kristin began to take stock of his symptoms, and determined that his blood sugar was probably low from not eating.”

“It was clear to us while he was sitting on the examination bed, just how much the lack of sleep was affecting him. Ben and I had to hold him up for Kristin because he was falling asleep sitting up, unable to stay awake. When she removing his shirt to assess him more closely, that is when we discovered the bruising on his back.”

“Bruising?” Noyce asked, his own expression troubled at such news, even though Nathan had already told him that the boy was injured.

“And I don't just mean a little bruise either, Bill,” Nathan replied. “It was extensive with half of his back from his collar bone to just below his rib cage, discoloured black and blue. It was still to very tender for Kristin to touch it without Lucas trying to pull away from her. She determined that it was at least a few days old, and that he would have had trouble moving his arm.”

“Kristin diagnosed that there wasn't much she could do except offer pain relief if he asked for it. Instead Lucas was settled into one of the beds, and allowed to sleep for quite a number of hours. Thankfully, he was finally getting some rest, whether the wanted to or not.”

“By the time he awoke several hours later, his whole demeanour had changed noticeably, and he was very closed off and guarded to the three of us, Kristin, myself and Ben. He didn't want to talk to any of us, or offer an explanation about how it happened. We had to coax it out of him, and even then he was adamant on not wanting to reveal too much.”

“Lucas was under the assumption that his staying on SeaQuest was part of this agreement that you and his father came to. That he behave himself according to rules set out from you, and if he messed up and reported that he was injured to me or anybody else on-board, that he won't be allowed to stay here any longer.”

“Nathan, that is absurd, I would never have agreed to such a clause being part of any agreement that was drawn up, no matter who it was with,” Noyce defended himself. “Lucas really thought that I would do something like that?”

Bridger nodded his head in acknowledgement. “I do know that, Bill. But unfortunately Lucas doesn't, he told us outright that was the deciding factor on his staying. He didn't know what the purpose of him being here was, only that the deal was done, and that he had no choice.”

“We have no idea what scale of measurement or deduction he might have used for that, but it is clear that it was partly the reason why he didn't want to come forward about anything that was happening to him. The harassment, being hurt, or anything else. We have no way of knowing what his father told him before he came on-board to instill such a belief either.”

“What else did Lucas tell you when you finally did get him to talk?” Noyce asked. Bill was still having trouble wrapping his head around everything that was being told to him.

“Lucas told us that he fell down a set of stairs,” Bridger answered, “And Kristin's assessment of pattern of bruising on his back appeared to match what he admitted to us.”

Somewhere in the his head though, Noyce was waiting for the _'but'_ that he could hear in the man's voice as he spoke.

“Well, I did speculate about that a whole lot. The timing of when it must have happened, because from what I could work out, there was a very small window of opportunity when it could have happened.

“I brought it up to the crew only yesterday morning that somebody must have seen something about a fall like that. I want to find out why it wasn't reported by someone when they would have seen a crew member hurt, even if it was an accidental fall. Especially when it involved someone Lucas's age and they were the adults.

Ben even went a bit further in thinking that the fellow that had harassed Lucas might have been responsible for pushing him down a set of stairs. But there wasn't any direct evidence to support that accusation, and there wasn't the chance to get Lucas to elaborate further or ask any more questions.”

“Why not?” Noyce asked, thinking that Bridger should have probed further from what he was hearing.

“Because before we knew anything about it, Lucas left on the launch that was leaving that day to go back up-world, without so much as a goodbye or anything,” Bridger told the Admiral. “Jonathan Ford knew about it because he had seen the passenger manifest, but Lucas didn't tell anybody else.”

“Kristin was not entirely happy about him leaving her domain before she could examine him properly again, but he didn't give any of us or her much of an alternative.”

“Did his father know that he was injured when he returned home?” Noyce enquired.

“Not that we know of,” Nathan replied with bitterness beginning to creep back into his tone. “At the time we thought that his family may contact us and demand to know what had happened, or at least take Lucas to see their own doctor.”

* * *

“How long was he gone home for?” Noyce asked.

“Two days, and when Ben and I found him returning on the launch yesterday morning, but it was clear that he had not gotten any of the care that Kristin had hoped for,” Nathan answered. “That is when the we begun realising there was a much bigger problem beginning to emerge.”

“Was he still reluctant to talk about the fall?” the Admiral asked, making an educated assumption.

“We didn't get a chance to talk to him because he was asleep on the launch, and physically he looked worse than before he left,” Bridger reported. “Outside the launch an altercation broke out between two crew members over their lodgings. By the time that was sorted out and the crowd had dispersed, Lucas had awoken and was gone.”

“Ben and I briefly discussed about giving him some time to settle in again and some space before approaching him about anything. I spoke to Kristin and she was going to take a look at him, but agreed on not pressuring him too soon after arriving back,” Nathan stated. “That is when I put together the meeting about starting an investigation about his fall. I also wanted to bring up about some of the lax attitudes that were beginning to emerge.”

“How did the meeting conclude?” Noyce asked.

“It didn't. A member of the laundry crew arrived with one of Lucas's shirts that he had given them, and that is when knew something else was very wrong.” Bridger answered.

“Everybody at that table was aware that Lucas had deep bruising to his shoulder, but his shirt had some noticeable blood stains on the back of it.” Nathan continued. “So naturally Kristin and I, together with Ben raced to his cabin, intending to check on him.”

“When we got there, his cabin was empty, and that is when we discovered that he was feeling scared and had taken the drastic steps of hiding away from everybody,” Bridger added. “We found out that he had gotten some bottles of water and a PAL communicator.”

“Hiding away?” Noyce questioned with concern. “Bleeding? Where was he hiding and how did you find him?”

“It took almost six hours to find his secret location. He was certainly determined for nobody to find him in a hurry,” Bridger answered. “He wouldn't answer any of my attempts to talk or come out. In the end, I persuaded Darwin to help, because Lucas has been developing a strong connection with him over the past week, and was talking to him.”

“Lucas was using one of the large air-conditioning ducting vents that opens out into Krieg's quarters, but somehow he managed to elude us again, and climbed out of there. There was more evidence that he was bleeding from somewhere,” Nathan commented. “He was trying to reach his cabin and get away from us when his door lock malfunctioned, and locked him on the inside like I told you earlier.”

“So you had to cut the power to release him?” Noyce asked, recalling the method had been spoken about earlier.

“Yes, by the time I reached him, he was lying on the floor, something was wrong with his right leg, and he was burning with fever,” Nathan reported. “I had to carry him back to Kristin down in med-bay myself because he couldn't stand up on his own.”

“Kristin started examining him and declared him dehydrated, and with no way to establish the last time he had eaten anything, she took the precaution of hooking him up to an I.V. That way she could deliver pain relief and antibiotics.”

“He was in a great deal of pain and feeling too miserable at that point to object to any of Kristin's administrations. It was one of my first opportunities to see her work as a doctor, but I wish it had not been on Lucas. She has a very calming bedside manner, and managed to keep him calm the whole time.”

“I will contact her personally myself and offer my thanks and praise for her due diligence and professionalism,” Noyce promised.

“You do that, because I did tell her that I would talk to you about get her some medical staff. She had no one to assist her, and luckily only had one patient to focus her attention on,” Bridger replied.

“But despite how good a doctor she is, even Kristin was shocked when she managed to remove Lucas's shirt this time,” Nathan said. “The images are burned into my brain, Bill, and it is going to take time before I will be able to fully process them. Poor Ben Krieg was just plain horrified.”

“What happened to him, Nathan.?” Noyce asked in a softer voice, seeing that his friend was growing angry again as fought to keep his emotions under control.

“There were several lacerations across his right shoulder blade, the source of the bleeding no doubt, and one further down on his ribcage,” Bridger answered. “I had to stand there and watch her put stitches into his back. But that wasn't the worse of it!”

“Not the worst?” Noyce said, almost not wanting to hear anything further. Stitches sounded painful enough as it was, in addition to the other symptoms that had already been described.

“In addition to the fresh lacerations, there was some new dark, discoloured bruising over his right hip that had not been there as a result of falling down the stairs. Kristin told Ben and I, that it was a boot impression....” Nathan said, pausing to see what the Admiral's reaction would be. He wasn't disappointed when the man on the other side of the screen wore the same dark look that he had at such startling news.

“A boot.....,” Noyce said, scarcely able to believe the doctor's diagnosis.

“I had to stand there and listen to her tell me that someone had deliberately and maliciously stomped on that boy with a boot, Bill,” Nathan said, running his hands through his hair to keep from balling them into fists of frustration. “Hard enough to leave a tread impression from the sole of the shoe responsible on his skin, not to mention even more bruising.”

“How could anyone do that to any child?” Noyce voiced.

“That was my question, and Kristin confirmed that there was no way that the individual would have been able to carry out such a heinous act without being able to see what they were doing to Lucas, or hear the pain that he would have experienced.”

“Oh Nathan, what have we gotten ourselves into the middle of here?” Noyce asked, trying to fathom what Lucas had been put through.

“I will tell you what I said to Kristin: That there was no justifiable excuse and that it was no accident this time around, no matter who was blame.”

* * *

“By the time Kristin finished with the stitches, Lucas was finally starting to fall asleep and finally get some rest,” Nathan interjected. “At that time we still had no idea that it was his father that was responsible. Kristin was fairly adamant there was evidence that identified the culprit.”

“So how did you get him to tell you it was his father?” Noyce prompted.

“We left Lucas in Kristin's care for the next couple of hours. There wasn't a whole lot Ben and I could do. I tried to contact you then, but could only leave a message.”

“I had the small network of people gather in the Ward Room to inform them of what injuries had been discovered,” Nathan explained.

“One of the glitches we have encountered during the past week relates to the overhead speaker system between the different areas of the vessel. Kristin contacted us in the Ward Room because Lucas was beginning to grow restless, and she wanted to get some answers. The comm-link between the Ward Room and the med-bay didn't disconnect properly, so when she started talking to Lucas, those present in that room were able to hear everything that was exchanged between them.”

“Kristin tried to broach the issue with compassion and understanding, but Lucas wasn't in the mood for any kindness or caring from anybody. He was still in a lot of pain giving her a very hard time, being evasive, dismissive and generally not wanting to participate in any conversation. He told her that nobody was supposed to find out about him being hurt this time around, any more than the last time. That the injuries just happened all by themselves.”

“Lucas made sure he had her full attention when he told her that she was free to draw her own conclusions about what had happened to him, because he wouldn't be writing it down or explaining it to anybody. After that he just turned away from her and refused to engage in any further discussions.”

Ben and I went to go and give her some moral support and see if we could help, but in the short time Lucas was left alone, he decided that he wasn't going to co-operate any further, and wanted to get as far away from everybody as possible again.”

“What else did he do?”

“While she was out of the room briefly, he ripped out the I.V. in his arm, spraying red over the sheets and blankets, and left med-bay on his own accord, with blood running down his arm and limping. He was so desperate to get away that he was prepared to do almost anything to escape, even risking further harm to himself.”

“Shocking, Nathan, just terrible,” Noyce stated, unable to come with any other suitable words.

“I was able to follow him back to his cabin, and I tried to get him to talk to me, just between the two of us. I was trying to approach him on a one on one level, but that is when his emotional state became worse. He was defensive, upset and feeling trapped with nowhere else to go. Physically he was over-tired and hurting and couldn't go on any further. He was barely holding it all together, when he started shouting at me and was accusing everybody of asking way too many questions.”

“I won't go into everything he said, but he did reveal that his father was beating him on a regular basis. He wanted to make it clear that his father wasn't the person everybody thought he was, including you, Bill. The way Lawrence is portrayed through his business dealings, with his company's financial gains and scientific achievements, was nothing more than a smoke screen according to Lucas.”

“I will never forget that devastating look on his face, Bill, when he realised that he had just allowed his deepest, darkest secret to be found out. Something that he has been trying to avoid and hide all this time.”

“It must have been a difficult time for you as well, Nathan,” Noyce stated with empathy, knowing that his friend would have been affected at witnessing the boy's distress.

“He wasn't going to accept help from anybody, including me,” Nathan confirmed. “He was very mindful of anybody getting too close, or being in his personal space, and he was feeling threatened. I was able to take a few tentative steps, in an effort to gain some ground and his trust. But it was far from easy.”

“I want to help him. I told Lucas exactly that. I promised him that I would protect him, and do whatever it is going to take to fix this, and to keep him safe. And I mean that, Bill,” Nathan declared with fierce display of tenacity.

Noyce hid a small knowing smile at hearing such a strong statement of commitment coming from Nathan. Surprised to hear such sentiments? No, definitely not.

These were qualities that made up a large part of this man who held a strong sense of fairness and justice, but rarely showed it with such intensity unless provoked. Some of the unique criteria and traits that had drawn Noyce to pick him as the perfect candidate as Captain of the SeaQuest, despite his own personal association.

“Lucas didn't believe last night, of course, and I doubt he does even right now. But I aim to change that, and keep the solemn promise that I made.”

“As Captain of this vessel, I do have a duty of care to him just like any other crew member, but this is more than that,” Bridger voiced. “He admitted to feeling scared, about reaching out and accepting any help that is being offered, even from me. I am certain that there are already a number of crew members on-board who are also willing to do whatever it takes to help him if only he was prepared to let them do so.”

“Kristin has already indicated to me that she intends to report everything to the appropriate authorities. She has a legal onus to do so because of her own sense of duty, due to her position as a doctor and as part of the oath she took. That means Children Services at some stage will be notified and become involved, but she hasn't given me a time frame yet for that to happen. Kristin is also aware that she needs to be sensitive to Lucas' needs and well-being above any other requirements or obligations.”

“I am sure that I don't need to impress on you, Nathan, the legal ramifications that we are currently faced with. Whether Lucas chooses to co-operate or not, and even if Kristin does any reporting to the authorities. I will talk to our legal department just as soon as I finish this conference with you, but quietly so as not to rock the boat, to find out where we stand.”

“In addition to that, I will try and contact Lawrence Wolenczak and invite him to talk, and give him the chance to explain his actions,” Noyce commented.

Nathan could scarcely believe Bill would want to allow the man any kind of chance. “To explain himself!” he shouted at full volume. “The man shouldn't be given the luxury of doing any such thing. From what little I learnt so far, he has not afforded his own son any level of understanding or compassion, or allowed him a chance or opportunity to live normally without fear.”

“I understand your anger, Nathan, believe me I really do, I have some myself after what you have told me. But the fact remains, as you have plainly pointed out, Lucas is someone else's child and a minor. If his father is anything like you have been told or we can collectively guess at, he could make this very difficult for everybody involved, if he chooses to do so. He has the financial capability and probably the right connections that would only serve to impact more on Lucas.”

Nathan paused and took in everything that Noyce was saying, nodding in acknowledgement that none of them could go off half-hearted about this and only cause more problems long-term. Having the best of intentions in mind wouldn't help any of them or Lucas. They would have to strive to work together to help the teenager.

Bridger knew he was going to have to accept the situation as it was for now, until they had better advice on how to proceed. “When you do make contact with his father, you are going to have to go about bringing up such a subject very carefully.”

“This is going to get much more uglier before it gets better, Bill, and that boy is so close to breaking now. Any steps or actions taken by Kristin, you, me or anybody in general is undoubtedly only going to make everything even messier,” Nathan stated, forcing down any residual anger, knowing it would not serve a purpose. “Someone has to be there for Lucas in all of this, because he has been the silent victim here, and handling it for far too long on his own.”

“I promise that I will keep Lucas' health, best interests, and part in all of this at the forefront, Nathan. The arrangement is legal and while it is in place, Lucas is assigned to the SeaQuest. With you as Captain of the vessel, you have some say over the boy and everything that happens to him whilst he is on-board.

“I made a vow to myself, that Lucas is not setting foot off SeaQuest until these allegations against his father can be substantiated and proven. Unless there is somewhere else he can be taken to that will keep him out of reach. I promised him that I wasn't going to send him back to his father, and at the moment, he doesn't feel safe at all.

“Lucas is petrified that his father is going to find out that someone else knows about the beatings and everything that has been happening, and that he will suffer the consequences. He is afraid of what is going to happen to him now. When I finally encouraged him back to med-bay in the early hours of this morning, he wouldn't allow himself to fall asleep due to that fear.”

Looking down at his watch for the time since they started talking, Bridger was shocked that two hours had passed since Tim had patched the video-link call through to his quarters. He knew a lot of ground had been covered with the Admiral. But he hadn't bargained on this long.

He wanted to go and check up on Lucas and spend some time with him, and see how Kristin had faired over-night. She needed some rest herself. He wanted to keep earning the boy's trust by demonstrating that a friendly and familiar face would be close by. The teenager may be too sore and closed off, so he wasn't expecting miracles, and they didn't need to talk about or do anything if he chose not to.

“Go and see him, Nathan, and make sure that you are taking care of yourself as well. Lucas is going to need you,” Noyce chided with mock sternness, knowing where the man wanted to be, rather than talking to him so early today.

“I will do everything I can from here, as quietly as I can, and I will keep in touch with any news immediately,” Noyce said with assurance. “Contact me personally at any time, even away from the base, if there is anything you or Lucas need,” he added with sincerity, praying for a positive outcome and peaceful solution for everybody involved.

Bridger was under no illusions or assumptions of what the next few days may bring about. “Thanks, Bill, I will call if I need to,” Bridger answered truthfully, pleased and grateful to see that the Admiral was willing to pledge his support and assistance.

* * *

After the Captain had severed the video-link with Admiral Noyce, he left his quarters, intending to head straight towards med-bay. Today was going to be a long day, but he was as prepared as he could be for what might eventuate. So in other words, he wasn't ready at all.

Half-way to his destination, Bridger came across Ben Krieg heading back towards the Bridge.

“Good morning, Captain,” Ben greeted him. He took stock of the man's appearance, and noted that he looked a little tired, but determined.

“Have you been down to see Lucas this morning?” Bridger questioned.

“I took a cup of coffee to Kristin a couple of hours ago,” Krieg answered. “Lucas was sleeping, but she mentioned that he had been very restless throughout the night and had only just dropped off again before I arrived, so I decided not to stay. I was planning on visiting a little later.”

“Thank you for thinking of Kristin, I am headed down there now,” the Captain commented. “I will wait and see what Kristin's prognosis is, and what Lucas wants to do before making any great plans for the day.”

“Admiral Noyce is giving us his full support, and has had everything explained to him,” Bridger informed him. “But I want everything about what we learned about contained as much as possible to those few crew members who already know only. We have to keep Lucas in mind with all of this and how he is going to be feeling.”

“That is great news about the, Admiral,” Krieg agreed. “With Lucas, I am still struggling myself to deal with everything I heard him saying last night, first to Kristin and you. My mind cannot even begin to process it all.”

“I know, but please hang around nearby or within paging distance this morning, because I may need you,” Bridger pleaded. “Depending on how he is feeling, at some point he needs to be told that other people overheard and know the truth. I don't want him finding out accidentally or through any other means.”

“Oh boy, Sir, hearing that is going to be rough on him,” Krieg said, running a hand nervously through his dark hair, and trying to fathom how the kid would react to such news.

“I know it will, but Lucas has to be our main focus now,” Bridger replied. “Like I told Noyce, this situation could get very messy, very quickly if we are not careful and vigilant enough. My intentions are to focus on providing whatever support or help he is willing to accept.”

“Understood, Sir, please let me know if I can do anything,” Ben said. “Even if he doesn't want to talk, maybe he is willing to have a friend.”

“Thank you, Ben,” the Captain responded. “Please inform Commander Ford where I am, and he can contact me there if necessary.”

* * *

As Bridger approached the med-bay room he had left Lucas in, he deliberately quietened his footsteps on the tiled floor, in case the teenager was still sleeping. Entering the room though, he was pleasantly surprised to see the teenager not only awake, but sitting up on the bed, with his legs hanging over the side.

“Hello,” he greeted the boy, trying to keep the mood light. “How are you feeling?” He really wanted to know.

Lucas lifted his head up, and turned towards the Captain, managing half a genuine smile, but it quickly disappeared again as he grimaced at the movement pulling on the stitches in his back.

At least the teenager seemed to be pleased to see him, and that was a far cry from what he had been trying to do in his cabin last night.

“I didn't expect to find you awake yet,” Bridger admitted, looking about the room and the corridor, wondering where Kristin was.

Nathan was trying to get a good look at his overall appearance without looking suspicious, but he didn't think he was managing that very well, as he watched the teenager's eyes follow his own.

“A little rocky,” he finally admitted truthfully. It was more honesty than Nathan had been expecting, even if it wasn't exactly informative.

Bridger wanted to judge how he was doing emotionally, but that was undecided yet too. Part of him could see a distinct difference to the previous night. The teenager wasn't trying to pull away from him standing nearby, and he wasn't looking to escape the room again. So those were all positive signs in his book.

This changed quite suddenly, when Lucas saw Kristin enter the room, and the guardedness on his face definitely increased a notch or two in the blink of an eye.

“Good morning, Nathan,” she greeted the Captain warmly, keeping her smile in place as she handed Lucas a drink of water. She was also carrying a new bottle of the concentrated juice Bridger had seen a few days ago, and this was placed on the mobile tray at the end of the bed.

“No doubt our young friend here is feeling slightly worse than whatever he is telling you, and he has only slept for a couple hours in total,” she informed him, having no qualms of pointing out his down-playing tactics to Bridger.

Kristin was trying to keep the atmosphere in the room calm and supportive as well. She looked a little tired herself.

Lucas gave a mild disapproving look at being dobbed in by her, but instead of voicing his displeasure, drank the water that was offered. He expected that she wasn't going to be allowing him to get away with anything today. How much she had already reported to Bridger about his injuries before he escaped med-bay he didn't know, but he knew she would have told him something.

The teenager didn't want to be as difficult as he had been yesterday, and silently allowing her to carry out the checks to the stitches on his back without any fuss. But as she worked, his half-smile never reappeared, and he kept his attention focused on the wall across the room.

Kristin noted that the bruising was still very tender to touch, and Lucas had inadvertently jerked away from her, even though her touch was as gentle as she could be.

“Do you need any pain relief?” she asked him, the same question she had direct at him yesterday, but had been given an unequivocal _'no'_ in response.

“No thank you, I can deal,” the teenager said, knowing she was trying to help, but trying to hold onto whatever shreds of control he could. And he didn't want to apologize for needing to do that.

“Please let me know if you do,” she voiced, keeping his attention, and hoping to eventually break through the tougher exterior he was trying to portray. “I want us to be friends, Lucas,” she added.

“Thanks, I do too,” he answered truthfully. “And I will tell you when it starts hurting too much.”

All three of them in the room knew that it he wouldn't be admitting to being in pain unless it was dragged from him again, or his body portrayed him like yesterday.

* * *

“Your stitches are still holding in place nicely and your fever is now completely gone,” Kristin reported to him, wanting to include him in any details about his own health.

“You have been taking fluids, which is great, but we need to start eating properly again, or your injuries are going to take longer to heal,” she explained. “You need a lot more sleep yet too. Waking up almost every hour is not my idea of a healthy sleep pattern.”

Bridger gave him a look of empathy, and partially understood why he hadn't been able to sleep properly yet. The Captain had trouble himself trying to block everything out enough to sleep, so he had absolutely no idea how Kristin expected Lucas to rest without problems cropping up.

“That is just a me thing,” Lucas tried to tell her. “It was too quiet in here and I couldn't find a comfortable spot on this thing you call a mattress.”

“Try again,” Kristin challenged, not believing most of what he had just said. His answer had been much to casual for her liking to be the whole truth.

“Some of that was the truth,” he said, moving about on the bed and regretting it as pain flared across his back. He had never been in a position before where someone wanted to know why he found it difficult to sleep. Where someone cared enough to call him out on it and wasn't prepared to accept just any answer.

“Which part, and how much of it?” she asked, seeing that he was making another attempt at avoidance in relation to anything pertaining to him personally.

This was both annoying and depressing for someone who was trying to keep most of his past a secret, but he didn't want to tell her that out loud.

“I keep music on in my cabin all the time when I sleep because I find it helps,” he told her.

Kristin suspected there was more to it that that though and waited for him to continue.

Lucas slumped in posture, knowing he would have to make a further admittance to appease her, the doctor was too astute and could see right through him at the moment.

“Don't be disappointed, but I keep waking myself up all the time like you saw, because it is a habit that has formed over a long time. Something about being in unfamiliar or new places, and it takes me a while to get used to sleeping anywhere for any length of time.”

“I am not disappointed, Lucas, I promise,” Kristin said calmly, trying to break through the ice. “I didn't realise that you had trouble sleeping in a new place. It is not an uncommon thing, especially in places like this where the accommodations are more confined, and people are required to live much closer together.”

“I have switched off the music a couple of times when I have come into your cabin,” Bridger chimed in. “I am sorry, I didn't know why you had it playing so loud before.”

“You weren't to know, don't get too worked up about it,” Lucas replied to him. “Occasionally I forget to turn it on myself.” There were other reasons for him playing the music loud to sleep, but at the moment they didn't suspect that, and he wasn't going to reveal it to them unless absolutely necessary.

“I just want to make sure you are taking good care of yourself,” Kristin said, trying to grow the rapport between them. The teenager wasn't as relaxed in her presence yet, as he was with Nathan. That was something she wanted to work on as he gained more confidence being on-board. “That means you and me have to work as a team, understand?”

Lucas deliberately took a deep breath now, and slowly let it out, knowing he was getting the doctor's attention. He had to get this over with, and he had to do it now. The teenager thought it was best to get some of the thoughts swirling around in his head off his chest, before any more pleasantries could be exchanged.

When he had first woken up, everything that had happened in his cabin with Bridger came back to haunt him. Every word he shouted, and everything he had said afterwards echoed in his brain and filled it up. Even now his emotions were starting to surface again too quickly, just thinking about it. And he hadn't even set foot outside med-bay yet. He had no idea how he was going to suppress them enough today to get Kristin to release him.

As he looked over at the doctor, the argument that he had with her came back as well, and how uncooperative he had been to her. Did he regret it? ' _No'_ he told himself. The way he had spoken to her, _'yes'._ Guilt was quickly mounting in his corner, but not about what they had spoken about. He was angry at himself for having revealed everything, not at any efforts she had made to help him.

Bridger and Kristin exchanged worried glances at each other, and could see the teenager struggling to come up with the right words to say to her. They could see the burden that he was placing on himself again over something important.

Lucas didn't like that he was doing it, and suspected that Kristin wouldn't like it either, but he needed to make it clear to her.

His gaze had been focused on the floor for a minute as he tried to compose himself better, but as he looked up at her, he couldn't hide the tears that he refused to let fall.

Kristin was immediately concerned that he was about to break down, and was ready to console him if that was what he was looking for. She put her hand on his, but wasn't surprised when he attempted to jerk it away. He put his hand back over the top of hers in silent apology as he spoke.

Bridger could see the teenager was upset, and Kristin was close to tears herself at the heart-breaking look on his face, but for his sake, she was holding them back.

“I am sorry for how I acted,” he began, his voice barely above a whisper. “I know what you are asking me to do, but I haven't changed my mind. I meant what I said yesterday. I cannot give you all of the answers you seek. Please try and understand, because I just cannot do it. Please don't ask me to,” he begged.

Kristin's own expression softened in an instant to one of wanting to offer comfort and caring. For now she was willing to accept that he didn't want to talk or acknowledge anything that had happened. She would offer him that space for now, for as long as possible. The sight of his unshed tears were almost her undoing again, and she couldn't help but bend at his heart-felt plea for understanding and time.

“Whatever happens and no matter what you need to face, you won't need to do it alone. I will be there to help you get through it,” she pledged.

Lucas nodded his head at her words, knowing that they were meant to be just as genuine as those Bridger had said to him.

“I promise I will be here when you need me,” she answered, placing a friendly, feather light, motherly kiss on his forehead.

“Doc......, there are other people here watching,” he quipped in mock indignation, pointing his thumb at Bridger, feeling the blush creep up from his toes.

She let go a laugh that broke up the tension of the moment, as the teenager baulked at such a simple, understated gesture and tried to brush aside his own embarrassment with humour.

“Oh don't mind us standing here, none of us saw a thing,” Bridger said with a straight face, but then grinned back at both of them. He knew he was the only audience that the teenager had labelled _people_.

Bridger could scarcely believe the powerful and moving moment he had just witnessed between Lucas and Kristin. They had both reached an understanding, not knowing where it would take either of them. Both of them growing a little closer. He could not have been more happier to see it happen right in front of him.

Lucas gave a brief laugh of his own in return, but neither adult noticed that it didn't quite reach his eyes. The teenager didn't have the heart to tell either one of them, sitting here in front of them, that he couldn't afford the luxury of believing that change would come.

* * *

“How long do I have to stay for in here today?” Lucas asked, looking hopefully back at Bridger who he was counting on to help convince Kristin to release him.

“You really need to very easy today, Lucas, and I will need to monitor your injuries for the next few days to ensure they are all beginning to heal,” the doctor answered.

“Can I at least go for a shower please?” he asked. “After that I will be a good boy and do what you ask,” he tried to negotiate.

“You are only promising that young man, so you can get your own way,” Kristin replied, trying not to douse his attempts at normalcy.

For the rest of today, and into the near future, she knew that all of them would have to allow Lucas time to adjust and assess at his own pace. Their actions would be guided mostly by what his psyche could handle, allowing for his injuries into that mix as well.

For a moment, Lucas was certain that his simple request would be denied, and she would force him to stay down in med-bay until she was satisfied with his eating and his pain levels. He was pleasantly surprised with her next statement.

“I don't see that being a problem, I have covered your stitches that will prevent them getting wet, but you still need to take extreme care,” she explained. “There is the options of using one of the shower rooms down here in the medical department?”

Lucas's posture slumped at that suggestion, not wanting to be there any longer than absolutely necessary.

Bridger interjected, seeing the teenager's reluctance, and understanding a little where he was coming from and the privacy and space he was craving. “You can use the shower in my quarters if you would prefer? Luckily it comes as one of the perks as being Captain,” he shared.

“I would prefer,” Lucas agreed, thanking the Captain with a small smile of appreciation, and understanding that he didn't want to use any of the men's shower facilities located around the boat.

“Alright, I will allow that, but on the understanding, that once you have finished, you will eat something please,” Kristin negotiated.

Lucas nodded his head in agreement, resigning himself to that fate. He felt a little hungry since waking and offering to eat would push back or delay having to talk about anything else, or so he secretly hoped.

“Mr Krieg came by earlier this morning, and left you a fresh set of clothes from your bag,” the doctor said, holding them out to him.

“Ben was here?” the teenager asked, not having remembered seeing Ben or talking to him since he had left to go back up-world, but not wanting to voice that out loud.

“He wanted to visit, but he had to go on shift on the Bridge very early this morning,” Kristin informed him.

She didn't tell him that the man had left so as not to disturb him sleeping. Nor did she want to reveal how guilty Ben had felt about the choice of location for his hiding spot. The young lieutenant had reacted badly to seeing the boy's injuries on both occasions and at having to watch his young friend being stitched up. Lucas had enough to worry about already, instead of having more pressure added to him.

“I spoke to Ben in the corridor before I made my way down here,” Bridger stated.

Taking possession of the clothes, Lucas made a casual comment that drew the attention of both adults, “Thanks, I think this is the last set I have in my bag. I put my Eagles shirt in the laundry room to be washed when I first came back, and I don't know what happened to my red and black Cubs one that I was wearing on the launch yesterday.”

Bridger and Kristin picked up that the teenager hadn't brought too many sets of clothes for himself from home, but didn't want to pry too much all at once. They didn't want tell him that the cubs shirt was probably non-repairable at this stage. Nathan made a note to talk to Ben about that little problem.

“Please take it easy walking around on your leg, and come and see me if you need any pain relief,” she requested.

“After you have had your shower, and eaten, please come back down here so that I can recheck your stitches?” Kristin asked. “I am going to be spending the majority of the day down here in the science department.”

“Sure,” Lucas answered, but he wasn't enthusiastic about having to come and see her again today. No doubt he could expect that routine to keep going to a few days unfortunately.

Lucas started to get off the bed, wincing a little as he put too much weight on his right arm to steady himself, and sending pain up his arm and across his back. But he persevered, and wasn't about to let them baby him if he could avoid it.

“Thanks,” he said in gratitude with a small smile at Bridger's gentle, but unspoken support.

Sometimes it was a guy thing, not wanting to admit what could be viewed as weakness in the eyes of a stubborn teenager. Nathan had already planned to watch Lucas carefully to make sure he wasn't over-doing things too early. He would report any noticeable increases in pain or discomfort and symptoms.

The teenager started walking out the door of med-bay at a very slow pace, lost a little in his own thoughts and not realising that Bridger had stayed back a few seconds to speak to Kristin out of earshot.”

“After he finishes, I am going to tell about everybody knowing,” Bridger said, knowing that she would pick up on the message he was trying to convey.

Kristin's facial expression changed to one of trepidation again, “He has already been through so much. That may be too much more than he can deal with today.”

“I know, but he needs to know sometime. And best that it is sooner rather than later. I want to keep building the trust between him and I, and to do that, I have maintain honesty from the start.”

“Depending on his mood and frame of mind after that, we can share lunch wherever he feels comfortable or more at ease,” Bridger commented.

Kristin nodded her head in agreement, thankful that he had offered his own quarters to the teenager. Hopefully that forethought by Nathan would give them the privacy between the two of them that had already worked to a degree in his favour.

“He deserves to know. Be ready for anything,” Nathan added in fresh warning, thinking Lucas's fragile emotional state was about to take another battering.

* * *

Bridger was surprised that Lucas had managed to walk quite a distance away from med-bay without being suspicious about him hovering nearby. He had definitely expected the teenager to make comment about it, but the teenager didn't bring it up in conversation.

With the damage to his hip, movement was painful and slow, but determination drove the youth towards his destination. There had been a few people in the corridors, but if they were giving him strange or sympathetic looks, he never mentioned it or acknowledged them.

For the next twenty minutes, Bridger sat idly in his own quarters, trying to think of the right words to say in what was going to be a difficult situation when Lucas emerged.

“Thanks, that felt great,” Lucas said to the Captain as he walked on the rich carpet in bare feet. “First one I have been able to have in days,” he added, not noticing the conflicting expression that such a comment brought to Bridger's face.

“You didn't get your stitches wet did you,” Bridger probed, trying to mask his own nervousness. “How about you sit down for a minute and take it easier on yourself.”

Lucas looked at the Captain and could see the man's uneasiness, which only cause his own apprehensiveness to renew. He wasn't in mood for falsehoods today, any more than he had been yesterday or last night. And he definitely didn't have the energy to argue with anybody today.

“Please, just tell me. I am too tired to play games,” Lucas voiced, closing his eyes briefly before opening them again, pushing down pain from his shoulder and hip. He was trying not to be alarmed, but he could see that the man before him was struggling to say something out loud.

Bridger stood up and walked over closer to him, seeing that the teenager had seen right through him, and regretting that he hadn't been able to mask his own emotions enough.

“I don't know how much you remember about what you told me last night,” Bridger began, watching the teenager's face, hoping to be able to detect any subtle changes.

“I remember most of it......,” Lucas whispered, looking down at his feet, afraid to look up at the Captain. Actually he couldn't have quantified how much he did or didn't recall if he was being totally honest without needing to concentrate.

“I meant every word I promised to you, even if you don't,” Bridger vowed, seeing the boy raise his head. It was clear that some of what had been exchanged between the two of them was jumbled and mixed up.

“I am sorry that I yelled at you,” the teenager said, “And that you had to find out everything that way,” he said, as emotion began swelling within him strongly. “I never wanted anybody to find out at all.”

 _'If only I could take it all back'_ was clearly written on his face, as his eyes beginning to glisten. What he had done was quickly becoming overwhelming again.

“You have nothing to be sorry about,” Bridger emphasised. “My door is always open to you to come and talk about anything. I promised to help you get through all of this, and I meant that!”

He was determined the boy wasn't going to fall down into a pit of self-reproach again. “But I also did agree to be honest with you as much as I can, and that is why I am telling you what I am about to now. Because I felt you deserved to know.”

Lucas nodded his head at the Captain's words, he doubted he could have spoken, even if he knew what to say.

“The words that you and Kristin exchanged before you left med-bay last night?” he prompted.

“Yes?” Lucas said, suspicion showing on his face. This wasn't the direction that he was expecting the conversation to go at all.

“I assumed that she must have shared most of what happened with you, judging by what she said to both of us a short time ago.”

“No, I am afraid she didn't tell me anything,” Bridger informed him. “Kristin wouldn't have shared what you both spoke about unless she had asked for your permission first.”

“Then how did you find out?” Lucas asked, clearly confused how the Captain knew if the doctor hadn't told him. “I didn't want to argue with her or give her a hard time either, really,” he said with guilt creeping into his voice.

“I think you were hurting a little too much at the time, and weren't quite ready for her line of questioning?” he commented, watching the expression change again, and saw the frown of curiosity form.

“Were you somewhere nearby that I didn't see?”

“No.”

“Then how did you know I was hurting?” he asked, though to be fair the man could have just pulled that assumption out of thin air. Bridger knew about his injuries now.

“Remember our little problem with the over-head speakers and your music playing in other parts of the vessel?” Bridger said.

“You mean...........,” Lucas started to say, but he realised what the Captain was trying to say. “Don't tell me the whole Bridge heard what she and I argued about?” he said, getting a little more animated as he spoke, and his voice rising in volume.

“I was having a meeting with a few people in the Ward room, including Ben, when she called down from the room you were in.”

“A few people!” the teenager shuddered.

He couldn't quite remember, line for line the whole argument with Kristin either, but he remembered accusing her of going through his bag and demanding her to leave him alone.

“No, no, not on the Bridge, I promise,” Nathan said, as he tried to get the boy to calm down. “The comm link didn't disconnect properly, and the few of us who were in there overheard.”

“Overheard!” The teenager said loudly, as he could no longer hide the agitation building inside of him. Now he knew why the Captain had so much trouble finding what to say.

“This is bad, this is really really bad,” he said, twisting and turning on one spot, as he tried to digest what he had just heard. “This is becoming some kind of perpetual nightmare that just won't end!”

The Captain knew that there was more he needed to hear.

By now his hip was beginning to protest from his constant movement and the walk back from med-bay.

“Come and sit down here for a minute and hear me out, please,” Bridger said gently trying to persuade him, encouraging towards the chair near the holographic desk.

Lucas allowed himself to be pushed towards the chair, but that was mainly because his mind trying to get a grip on the latest bombshell rather than where his feet were headed.

“Who?”

“That is not the most important thing right now,” Bridger said, taking up position in the second chair at the desk and being able keep at his eye level.

“Ben and I were coming down to help Kristin talk to you, and help try to make you understand that we were aware of what you were going through.”

Lucas scoffed a little, demonstrating just how much he didn't believe any of them could have possibly comprehended how he was feeling, or what his state of mind was at that time.

“Not long after that you ripped your I.V. out and were trying to escape back to your cabin, everybody else stayed back in the Ward Room. They didn't see any of your blood on the floor or sheets.”

“Not one of my more stellar moments........” Lucas admitted candidly, shame creeping up his neck at what he had done. He hadn't even thought of how someone might have been affected after having to witness such an aftermath.

“I am afraid it is much worse.” But as soon as that last word left his mouth, he could see the startled expression that it caused.

“Worse?” Lucas asked, the volume of his voice dropping, because he was too busy convincing himself that he didn't want to hear anything else.

_How could it get even worse?_

Bridger started as calmly as he could, putting his hand over the boy's in an effort to lessen the blow that was coming, “It also happened when you and I were talking in your cabin.”

At first Lucas didn't show any reaction, because his brain hadn't filtered it enough yet. But Bridger was watching his face very carefully, and would have sworn that he could pinpoint the very moment that the truth struck home.

Lucas quickly hitched in a breath and the pallor of his face immediately turned two shades lighter. _But that meant.............._

“That means they heard me shout at you that my f-f.............,”

Bridger nodded his head slowly, seeing the pain that such a revelation invoked.

“They know that he..............,” he couldn't even get all the words out.

Pain in his hip or not, Lucas jumped to his feet, instantly regretting it, but gritting his teeth, as he turned around on the spot nervously, running his left hand over his mouth and then wrapping his arm around himself in a self hug.

He tried to hide his fear by lifting his hands above his head to run this fingers through his hair as he tried to fathom this piece of news, but he found he couldn't lift his right arm above shoulder height. His stitches pulled sharply and made him gasp out loud at the sudden fresh stab of pain.

Even that sensation couldn't mask the sheer panic that was close to engulfing him. He wanted to run from the room and find a place to hide again. He needed to get away from here..............now!

He was wringing his hands together without even realising what he was doing, turning away from the Captain and trying to figure out his next move.

Bridger stood up, and put his hand on the boy's upper arm, rubbing up and down in a soothing gesture, feeling the fear that was virtually radiating off the teenager.

“They heard everything I said to you,” Lucas said, making a statement rather than asking a question. He was still turned away from the Captain.

“Bad enough that you know............ now everybody does,” he said, the self-hug tightening and getting closer to losing control again as he had done last night.

He felt a hand on the back of his neck, trying to get him to calm down more, but it had the opposite reaction, with him jerking away from Bridger altogether, and raising his voice again.

“Do you have any idea what that means?” he shouted.

Bridger tried to answer but was quickly cut off.

“No you don't!” he said, blinking back unshed tears and swallowing harshly, forcing himself to stop yelling.

A cold shiver of fear ran through him from top to bottom as he pictured his father's face and heard his voice at what he would say when he found out. A second one when he thought about the punishment that would follow as a result.

 _'And let's be honest'_ he told himself, _'there was no way to prevent that.'_

“Not everybody. Only a handful of people know, Jonathan, Miguel, Tim, Katie, Chief, Ben, Kristin and myself. Nobody else.”

Each name was punctuated by the teenager closing his eyes and squeezing them tighter and tighter, each time one was called out. There wasn't supposed to be any.

“I have been trying to keep this secret a good part of my life, and now eight people know way more than they should,” Lucas declared with more than a touch of bitterness.

“They care enough to keep it safe from being found out by anybody else who doesn't have a right to know,” Bridger spoke softly, feeling the tremors running across his shoulders, but still trying to get the boy to calm down.

Otherwise he would have to make a call to Kristin, and he didn't want to do that right now if it could be avoided.

Lucas stopped saying anything, and found Bridger coaxing to sit on the chair again. The damage had been done. Being this upset and agitated was only causing the boy more pain and distress.

When Bridger thought the boy was composed enough, he made sure that the teenager would hear what he wanted to say.

“Admiral Noyce also knows....,” he started to say and could barely stop the teenager from jumping to his feet again. “He is going to do everything to help us too. I couldn't keep this from him. He was just as horrified about what has been happening.”

“But he is the one that.....,” Lucas started to say, his voice no longer holding any anger. The count was now up to _nine_ people too many.

“I know he drew up the agreement, but he now knows he should have done a lot better by you,” Bridger stated firmly. “Let him prove that.”

Lucas stared back at the Captain, not sure he could give the man the positive answer that he wanted to hear about the Admiral and any of his so called efforts thus far.

“I promised you that I would help, and I meant it,” Bridger implored. “I will not let you leave this boat unless you are safe. You are _not_ going back to your father.”

“You have some people now who want to help you. I am sorry that they had to hear everything too. I didn't know myself until this morning,” Bridger said.

Lucas looked into his face, searching for even the hint of a lie about when the Captain found out about others knowing. There was a small amount of internal relief when he saw it was the truth.

“Those people are now allies on your side. They couldn't believe what was going on.”

“Poor Ben was beside himself with worry over you. He is the only one that has seen your bruising, both times, I swear. He stood there in med-bay ready to help if it was needed when Kristin was stitching your back,” Bridger told him.

“The other people I mentioned have been told about your injuries, but Ben is the only one who has witnessed them first-hand. Nobody else needs to see them except Kristin unless you decide, not even me after today.”

“Not much point in hiding them from any of you now is it,” Lucas said, looking down into his lap, his voice devoid of all real interest in the topic of conversation.

“I have never seen Kristin so angry before about something happening to you. Afterwards, she was just as saddened that you were trying to hide your pain from everybody.”

Guilt began surfacing in the teenager about how the other crew members were being towards him, and how much they wanted to help according to Bridger. Most of them didn't know the first thing about him. Why would they do that? He didn't have the answers.

“I know you are not used to people helping you before now, but please let us try. They just want to help too because they care about you,” Bridger said gently, trying to get him to listen and agree to what he was proposing. “Something you are going to have to get used to being part of this new SeaQuest family,” he added to try and bolster his confidence. But so far such notions had not been very met with skepticism and unfamiliarity.

“Family is a very strange concept to me,” Lucas offered as a final non-committal response.

He had nothing to base such an idea on, and didn't know if he wanted to find out.

Bridger stood up, seeing that he had done all he could for now. Said all that he needed. Anything else could wait.

* * *

Lucas sat slumped in the chair, head bowed, trying to come to terms again.

“Would you like to go to the mess hall with me and grab something to eat?” Nathan asked, knowing that Kristin was wanting to get the boy eating again soon.

The teenager didn't answer straight away.

He didn't have a clue at what he was going to say to Ben or any of the other crew members now that they knew his dark secret. Would they act differently around him? He didn't want pity or sympathy from anybody.

“I don't think I could go in there and face anybody right at the moment,” Lucas said with genuine sincerity.

 _'I need some space'_ but that part wasn't voiced out loud. The expression on his face begging Bridger to understand that he didn't know what he wanted to do right now.

“I will go and get us some lunch and bring it back here for the both of us then,” Bridger offered.

The Captain left his own quarters, heading for the mess hall.

* * *

Ben Krieg was having his own lunch in the mess hall when he saw the Captain come in.

He was going to ask the standard question about how the man was, but one look at Bridger's face gave away a myriad of emotions.

“Kristin released him long enough to have a shower. I was going to bring him down here for lunch, but that has since been scratched as a good idea.”

“Still hurting a lot?” Krieg surmised about some of the reason why the teenager had not wanted to attend.

“Yes, but he was responding fairly well to Kristin a short time ago in med-bay,” Bridger answered. “But now he knows about everybody overhearing of his secret.”

Krieg swallowed the mouthful of food he had been chewing, “How did that go?” already guessing at how the kid would react.

“Like the lead balloon we were both expecting,” Bridger said, letting out a sound of exasperation and worry clearly on his mind. “I will take back something for the both of us. Maybe he might be in a better frame of mind a little later.”

“I think the head chef was intending to cook up something special just for him,” Krieg told Bridger. “Partly as an apology to Lucas, as well as for not alerting us sooner to seeing him injured.”

“Well that was nice of him, but I guess something a little simpler to eat might be easier at the moment.”

“Not to worry, I will let Don know, he won't mind and will keep it for the next time. You head back to Lucas, and I will bring you both something for lunch. That way you can spend a bit more time with him, and he won't blame you if the food isn't to his liking.” Krieg added with a laugh.

“Thanks, that would be great. Don't be too long. Otherwise Kristin will be hunting all three of us down for him to eat,” Bridger joked back.

The Captain knew that part of Ben's plan was so that he could make his own assessment of Lucas without drawing the teenager's suspicions.

* * *

In the short time that Bridger was talking to Ben in the mess hall, Lucas had left the Captain's quarters, intending to head back to his own cabin. He knew Bridger was bringing lunch, but he didn't want to eat at the moment.

The walk to his own cabin had been just as slow and painful as the first time before his shower. This time he didn't engage in any conversation with anybody else in the corridors either. Thankfully, to him this part of the boat was once again a little more isolated from the normal heavy traffic of the crew.

He wanted to be left alone.

Once he had arrived and entered the cabin, he didn't even look at some of the furniture he had tried to move around the night before. Upon trying to lock the door, once again the mechanism didn't work. Frustration flared again and everything was beginning to crowd around him. Feelings, thoughts and pain, And right at the moment, he didn't want to deal or think about any of them.

His one immediate problem was going to be trying to get up onto the top bunk with his sore hip and stitches.

Before going about pulling and getting himself up there, he rearranged two of the pillows from the head end down the bottom end of the bed, punching them into place up against the aqua tube. The position they were in would add enough padding for resting his good left shoulder against and hopefully would prevent him putting any pressure on the majority of the right-hand side of his body.

Putting the pillows in the correct position was the easy part though. His hip was protesting loudly, and by the time he had managed to pull and climb onto the top bunk, he was forced to stop and breathe through the pain that was racing through his stitches and intensifying with every minute.

At this point in time, he didn't care about heeding Kristin's warning to take it easy, or what others might have been wanting him to do, including Bridger. With great difficulty, and no small amount of grimacing, he hauled himself onto his left side, until his shoulder reached the top of the pillows. By the time he was finished, his body was screaming in pain, and he was exhausted.

One pillow had moved too much and was fairly much useless, but he didn't have the energy to move again and try and change where it was. The second one was in a position that allowed him to recline enough against it. It would have to do.

When he looked into the tube, the only thing he could see from the angle he was lying in, was the blue of the water. Darwin swam into view, and he gave a lazy smile at the dolphin. The first time he had seen him since coming back, and he wasn't telling him that he needed to do anything. That kind of silent company suited him just fine.

* * *

Ben Krieg was carrying a large tray, with two very different meals. One the day's standard lunch time special from the head chef. The other items, a container of noodles and a cold soda.

The young lieutenant had only made it part of the way towards the Captain's cabin when he was met with Bridger coming back towards him.

“He didn't stay,” Bridger remarked, announcing that the teenager had left his quarters. “I thought he might be wanting to avoid my company for a while.”

“Let's hope he didn't find another hiding place just yet,” Ben Krieg commented.

Nathan had half a mind to go and get Kristin and have her joining them as they made their way towards _Mammal Engineering,_ but he had better see what they were dealing with first, to be able to give her some information about his current condition.

As they reached the small cabin, both men listened intently for any noise that might be coming from inside, as they knocked and waited for a sign that they would be allowed entrance. When the door failed to open, they nodded at each other, both throwing caution to the wind, and prepared to accept whatever backlash they would receive if the teenager decided he didn't want their company.

Both men where surprised with the quietness of the room that greeted them. The over-head light was still on, but the occupant didn't seem to notice. The teenager's eyes were closed, and his features relaxed.

Ben put the food and drink tray on the teenager's computer desk, looking at the angle he was lying on the bed. “How did he manage to get himself up there without help?” he whispered.

“Pure stubborn, pigheadedness,” came Bridger's bold assessment, but his voice at a very low level, shaking his head a little at the boy's tenacity and drive to do everything on his own. “But maybe that was what he needs at the moment to cope.”

Krieg had wanted to laugh out loud at the Captain's brash comment, but kept quiet, neither of them wanted to wake the teenager. His own thoughts turned a little more sombre as he thought about the injuries that were currently plaguing his friend, and the torment that was he was going through. They knew he had spent a poor night sleeping.

The boy's sleep must have been deep enough for him not to hear either of them enter the small cabin. The kid needed the rest to start the healing process, but they had hoped he would have eaten first. They didn't want him falling back into old habits too soon.

“He must have dozed off pretty quickly,” Bridger commented, noting that not a whole lot of time had past since he had left Lucas in his quarters, until how they found him now. “But after the emotional roller-coaster he has been on, its not too surprising I guess.

“I will let Kristin know where he is, and come back and check on him periodically,” Bridger stated. “Hopefully he will get some rest for a few hours. I will take our lunches back to the mess hall and eat mine there.”

“We can leave his food with the kitchen staff, for now. The noodles can be reheated and he can get a cold soda later,” Ben said.

Bridger looked through the aqua tube, and saw the dolphin keeping a silent vigil, and smiled at the animal's devotion. “You keep a good eye on him now, Darwin,” he said quietly, hoping that his aquatic friend would alert them once Lucas was awake again.

* * *

Upon hearing the hatch door close, Lucas opened his eyes, still leaning against the aqua tube, but not sleeping like Ben and Bridger had assumed he was doing. Conflicting emotions were bubbling just beneath the surface, and he didn't know which spoke to him the loudest.

He had almost given himself at away at Bridger's random comment about his independent streak. _Pigheadedness_ indeed. Perhaps it was on some level he said to himself.

Though it was not quite the description he was going for to explain his strong need to rise above everything that was thrown at him and want to survive.

Past experiences usually taught him lessons about wanting breathing space for himself, and to think through what his options were. Accepting help from anybody had rarely been offered or even a choice. And he was struggling to know how to deal with half of him wanting to do that, and the other half wanting to pull away and say _'forget it'._

The teenager had heard everything the two men had said, and his only solution to everything right at this very moment, was avoidance. It might not be the right answer, but he was grasping at straws anyway, and it was the best he could come up with at short notice. He felt tired and was ready to surrender into the waiting arms of Morpheus. If only dreamless sleep was actually attainable.

Lucas could feel himself falling back into old habits, but right now, pretending to be asleep was better than facing the alternative of Bridger or Ben wanting to talk to him. He knew what they were trying to do and although he said he was willing to try, part of him couldn't deny that it scared him green to do so.

Lucas could feel a bubble of nausea in the pit of his stomach, but it wasn't the fact that he hadn't eaten that was causing it. This time the feeling was out of pure fear from what his father's reaction was going to be. He could almost hear the man's voice now, yelling at him, and his fist reaching out towards him in his mind.

For the next thirty minutes, just like the first day he had arrived back on SeaQuest, Lucas slowly used the index finger of his left hand to lazily trace along the aqua tube he was facing. The blue hue of the water was the same colour, and the lights inside the tubes were strangely soothing, rhythmical and hypnotic.

Some people thought that because he spilled his guts, that now he would just come to accept that everything was going to change for the better. They assumed that everything would be different now because others had said so, but it wasn't. The feelings he had now, were the same as they were before last night, and every day and night for the last several years. The same fears and apprehensions.

Make no mistake, very little had changed at all.

To be continued..............................

Jules

**Author Notes:** I am sorry that I had to split this chapter way before I originally wanted to, and that the meeting between Noyce and Bridger took sixteen hours and needed a packed lunch. It was getting long again. There was supposed to be a lot more included in this chapter. Chapters One to Four are pretty much full now and mostly mapped out. After that, no clue.

I felt it was important, although I still feel that it is disjointed in a couple of places how everything was explained. Noyce has a fairly large part to play in this story, some parts in the next one **The Hurtful Truth** and a major one in an upcoming plot a few stories away.

The additional parts that were cropped from this chapter will be the basis for Chapter Two, and include the ending that I originally had planned for this first chapter, plus what wasn't added yet.

I did want there to be a little anger towards Noyce from Bridger over the agreement with Lawrence, but I don't see Noyce as a bad person or character, and there is plenty more to come with him in this story yet, with Bridger and Kristin and the rest of the crew, and most of all with Lucas himself.

I am still carrying over some of the emotions and thoughts of Lucas from the last story, because I feel that he is still in that frame of mind right now, even after the scenes with Bridger. Although some of the truth is known now, it certainly isn't all of it yet, and the unwillingness to not share is going to be a strong theme for quite bit yet. Just my interpretation for someone being in this situation for as long as he has been.

There will be some happier and lighter moments in this story, but they will take time to get to. Please bear with me as I am being very deliberate with the pacing of how things are set up, I know I am taking forever to get to the parts everybody wants to see and hear about. But I want to set everything up properly in these first few stories, because it will affect some that are already written and plenty that are yet to come up next.

Everything that is being set up in this story is leading to **The Hurtful Truth** which, if I do it with the correct amount of impact, and the way I want to, should not only rip out the heart of every reader, but chew it up and spit it back out again. I am aiming for some of the most angsty, heart-breaking scenes I have yet written for this fandom.

I will be back as soon as I can. At the moment I have a few things to do. A birthday party to set up for Frodo and Bilbo. Calm down an unhappy Jack O'Neill because one of his team is in the infirmary again. Plan and set up an ambush just outside of Virginia City. And have Harry Potter getting used to living with Sirius and Remus and the magical world.

Thank you for reading. Enjoy.

Jules


	2. Remembering The Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doctor Westphalen and the crew are trying to accommodate and find out more about their newest crew member, and reveal some information about themselves. But the journey isn't easy for any of them, and all of them have some secrets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please see author notes at the beginning of the story.

**THE GREEN PEN**

**By Jules**

**Author Notes –** thank you for everybody who is still reading. It truly means a lot that people are reading after such a long time of being away. I hope you enjoy this next instalment.

This is the second story in my new series, and it would be helpful for you to read **Please Tell Someone** as this story continues straight into a new page from the ending scenes of that story.

The reason for this title will not become apparent until much later in the story, but was thought of ten (10) years ago or more, when the original plot came to me long before I added in the new adoption arc.

Any legal references, laws, requirements for reporting abuse, the steps taken afterwards, court proceedings and outcomes and interview protocols are all fictional. Some are based loosely on real laws and circumstances, but a lot are fabricated to suit my story only and have been changed to suit the plot I have derived. The same with which authorities are involved and their individual roles and responsibilities.

This chapter will be a little darker and angsty for most of it, because it is building to some of the most important scenes of the whole beginning adoption process – and that is Lucas's long held secret has just been found out. But I intend to have quite a few light-hearted ones as well and some new things happening.

Sorry folks, this second chapter became too long again – actually half of the stuff I wanted to put in here won't come up until Chapter Three.

There will be a lot happening in this story as well, so I am not sure how long it will be yet. Quite a few more chapters longer than the first story.

**Chapter Two – Remembering The Past**

_from the end of the previous chapter:_

_Some people thought that because he spilled his guts, that now he would just come to accept that everything was going to change for the better. They assumed that everything would be different now because others had said so, but it wasn't. The feelings he had now, were the same as they were before last night, and every day and night for the last several years. The same fears and apprehensions._

_Make no mistake, very little had changed at all._

_And now the story continues:_

Nathan Bridger retrieved two icy cold cans of soda from the mess hall and made his way towards the _Mammal Engineering_ section of the boat. Three hours ago he had quietly knocked on the hatch door to the small cabin, waiting a few moments to see if a voice would invite him in.

Lucas had heard the knock, but remained in a similar position he had been in on top of his bunk around lunch time, trying to block out a lot of what was going around in his head. For a second time today, he closed his eyes and evened out his breathing, giving the impression that he was still sleeping. He could take a fairly good guess at who might be knocking. If it wasn't the Captain, then it was fairly even odds that the unannounced visitor would have been Ben or Kristin.

A part of him wanted to openly ask the Captain in to talk, but that little voice inside his head, and the devil sitting on his shoulder reminded him that he shouldn't. The teenager had heard the door open, but close shortly again afterwards, without the visitor entering his cabin. He doubted he would get them to believe a third time.

The knock came again now, just as he predicted, with a similar pattern and at a similar volume, so Lucas made the assumption that it could be the same person. “Come in,” he invited, shuffling his shoulder against the aqua tube. The pain was still present, but he was trying his best to ignore it. He would need to move for real soon and stretch his back and legs.

The handle of the hatch spun, and the door itself opened to reveal the Captain, who gave a smile in greeting, and took a step inside, closing the door behind him. Lucas hadn't turned around to face him yet, watching the water, and appearing to be lost in deep thought and contemplation. Darwin was nowhere to be seen, so it wasn't the dolphin drawing his attention.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Lucas turned towards him, “Hi,” not knowing what else to say.

Sometimes silence was good for the soul the teenager convinced himself. It allowed him space to think. At other times though, silence was like a silent cancer if allowed to grow and fester. Different sides of the same coin. Lucas didn't want that coming between him and Bridger.

“Hello, I am glad to see you awake. I came by to visit a little earlier, but you were still sleeping. I didn't want to disturb you.” What the Captain didn't voice out loud was how tired the teenager still appeared upon taking a close look.

The genuine efforts coming from the man, made Lucas' guilt increase at the small deceptions he had created. He was relieved that the first question out of the Captain's mouth wasn't, _“Are you okay?”_ Because he would not have had a positive response, or any favourable answer at all to such a ridiculous query.

Bridger had quite a few words of description for what he was seeing going on in front of him. The teenager's demeanour, and body language spoke volumes, but he chose to keep all of them to himself and deal with what was right in front of him on a one on one basis. That method had been proven to work so far, so he saw it as the best way of taking a step forward.

“I have been awake for a while now,” Lucas admitted, the answer somewhere in the middle of the truth and an outright lie. He found himself dozing off in small snatches for several minutes during the afternoon, but not because he wanted to sleep. More like his body forcibly demanding that he take things a little easier. He never reached anything that would be considered proper sleep.

“I bought this with me, thinking you must be a little thirsty by now,” Nathan said, handing over the second can, and opening his own. “I could use the extra sugar rush myself,” he added, hoping that by drinking from his own can, he may encourage the boy to do the same without needing a reason other than offering friendship.

Lucas saw through the charade for what it was, but didn't openly voice any objection, and took the offered can and opened it, drinking from it. “Thanks.”

“I was having lunch brought back to my quarters to share, but you had already left to come back here,” Bridger said casually, trying to gauge the boy's mood.

“Sorry, everything you said earlier became a bit too much to handle I guess....,” he said, looking down and away from the Captain, not knowing how else to describe the feelings of panic that he had been trying to escape from.

“You don't need to apologise. I know it is a lot to take in, but we will do it a little at a time, together,” Bridger responded, walking over and standing by the bunk bed. Pleased to see that there was still no spoken protest about the distance between them. Wariness was still present on the teenager's features though.

Physical contact was still being actively avoided and perceived as a threat, rather than offering support or comfort. This was something that Bridger intended to work on himself, but also to let Ben and Kristin be aware of and the other crew members. There was a long way to go, and it could be some considerable time before the teenager would feel safe with anybody being close to him or putting their hands on him.

A few of the biggest questions of all were still rolling around in Lucas' mind, and he hadn't found a suitable answer for any of them yet. He still didn't feel safe, and that lump of fear was still lodged in his throat of what would happen when his father found out.

 _Did he want the pain to stop?_ Yes.

 _Did he think that anything was really going to happen just because he let his guard down?_ No.

 _Was his father going to allow him any kind of freedom?_ Definitely Not.

 _Was he ready to take such a huge risk?_ Not Ready and Undecided.

 _Was he prepared to let Bridger help him?_ _Maybe_ _._

The next sentence out of the teenager's mouth left no doubt what he had been thinking about before the Captain entered the room. And he understood why Lucas had a hard time letting the subject go entirely.

“Are you sure they know?” Lucas said, looking back at the aqua tunnel as Darwin swam into view. Once again he was wringing his hands together in nervousness about what those few crew members might be thinking.

“I know it sounds like a stupid question,” Lucas added, knowing that the Captain had already explained that those few who had overheard, would keep his dreadful secret to themselves. It was meant to be a rhetorical question.

“It doesn't sound stupid at all, Lucas,” Bridger replied, “I know this all sounds very scary for you right at the moment. And you have every right to be upset.”

“I don't want them to treat me different now than they already do because of it,” Lucas stated, trying to justify what he was feeling with rationalisation. He had never been in a position where someone knew what had been happening. And now he had to deal with the fact that it wasn't one person, but _nine._

“Give them a chance, I think you might be surprised,” the Captain said, trying to quell the boy's apprehension.

“It wasn't my intention to upset you further by bringing the subject up, but like I already said, I wanted us to be as honest with each other as possible. And I thought you deserved to know before you heard it as a rumour from some other source.

“While we are on the subject of being honest then, I should tell you that I know about your son, Robert passing away....,” Lucas said, leaving the sentence incomplete.

“You do?” Bridger said with surprise. He could see that the teenager was trying to be tactful, and had not wanted to bring up such a painful topic out of the blue.

“Ben told me a few days ago, when he was trying to tell me a few things about himself,” Lucas stated. “For what little it is worth now, I am sorry you lost your son.”

“Thank you for telling me, and I know it must have been quite a painful moment for Ben too, because they were very good friends for quite a while at the academy together,” Bridger replied. “Robert didn't share too much of their antics together with me during their time there. I am still trying to find out all the details about them painting a float pink.”

“Pink!” Lucas said with a small smile appearing on his face, wondering what other secrets Krieg had about those days that hadn't been shared with the Captain.

“Yes, they were not always the well-behaved cadets they should have been,” Bridger said. “Maybe you can worm the full story out of Ben one day.”

“You are welcome to ask any questions about my son,” Bridger offered. “I have been trying to remind myself recently that not all the memories I have are bad ones, and that I have a lot of great memories of times we shared together.

“That is great that you have some happy ones,” Lucas replied, not knowing if he would ever venture down that pathway.

With some honesty being shared between them, the teenager decided to change the direction of the conversation entirely away from Bridger's son.

There was something that I meant to say back in your quarters, but after hearing what you had to say, I guess it slipped my mind when I left there in such a rush.

“You can talk to me any time, day or night,” Bridger re-emphasised. “And if it is not me, there are other people here willing to listen.”

“I feel like I owe an apology to everybody for leading them all on a wild-goose chase and having to search for me when I was hiding,” Lucas said, dropping his gaze away from the Captain as guilt and shame spread across his features. “Sounded like a good idea at the time, but now I guess it sounds pretty stupid to other people,” he added, looking up at the ceiling.

“Not something I am entirely proud of by any means, but I have had to do it on more than a few occasions and it has definitely saved me in the past from something much worse happening,” Lucas explained.

 _What could you possibly say after hearing something like that?_ Bridger asked himself, caught without a single word he could think of in reply. He wanted to reach out with a hand of sympathy, but he knew that it wasn't what Lucas was searching for or wanting right now.

The mere thought that any child had to resort to hiding away to escape torment or physical punishment was beyond his comprehension. That they had to come up with strategies in their own home to avoid being hurt and in an attempt to achieve anything close to safety.

Nathan found himself wondering about those other times and if Lucas was ever found by anyone or had come out on his own accord eventually. He shuddered to think of what the repercussions might have been if any of those _occasions_ had ended with his father being the one who had found him hiding out. But he didn't dare ask at this point.

The fact that it was this boy sitting in front of him, only strengthened his resolve to make SeaQuest a place where Lucas could feel safe and not have to worry about cowering away from his father or anybody else. Where he was encouraged to be himself and allowed to grow up as normal as possible without fear.

What Lucas had chosen to reveal though about his past, made the Captain think that he should at least be willing to admit to his own similar actions in the past.

“I wouldn't say you are the only one to do that. I have a little first-hand experience of hiding away myself at various times in my life,” Bridger answered truthfully.

Lucas sat up, looking directly at the Captain, wanting to challenge his notion of hiding. Nathan could see the unasked question, and spoke first.

“You are talking to someone who hid himself away on a deserted island for a number of years until very recently being dragged back under false pretences,” Bridger replied. “If it hadn't been for Admiral Noyce's persistence, I would probably still be there right now, instead of standing here talking to you. After Robert was taken from us both, and then Carol passed away, I guess a large part of me saw it as the only logical solution.”

“I wanted to leave the rest of the world behind that I thought had dealt me such a terrible hand. So I have done my own fair share of hiding away, maybe just using a bigger space and an island. At the time, I couldn't face anybody either, or even myself.”

The teenager thought for a minute of how much of their choices did or didn't mirror each other, and he tried to draw out the inferences that Bridger was hinting at. On some level he could see the Captain's retreat as escaping too or hiding away as he had put it, and their need to be away from everybody else may not be so different. But Lucas wasn't so sure that he couldn't think of enough similarities, where Bridger or anybody else would be able to comprehend or begin to understand the life he had been forced to endure for the past eight years.

“I was expecting Kristin to be with you,” Lucas said, genuinely surprised that he hadn't seen the doctor for most of the afternoon.

“She is getting some rest herself after spending the early morning hours watching over you in med-bay,” Bridger informed him.

“Don't worry, she will be bugging you soon enough, and she didn't mind at all. She already reminded me that being a doctor has prepared her for longer hours,” the Captain stated, seeing guilt coming to play on the boy's features at hearing such an admission.

“Are you ready to come with me and get some dinner in the mess hall?” Bridger inquired. “Otherwise you and me will be both in trouble, after you missed lunch.”

“No, I am not,” Lucas managed to answer truthfully, “but let's get it over with,” he agreed to with resignation.

If he didn't start showing some attempts at eating a bit more regularly, he knew he could expect the doctor, the Captain and Ben to be hounding him. A lifetime of poor meal times wouldn't disappear overnight, but as long as they thought he was making an effort, then perhaps he could avoid their scrutiny at what he put into his mouth. They didn't know how bad it had gotten in the past and had only begun to see one of the measures he had employed to get through some lean times.

Lucas maneuvered his body to the edge of the bunk, unable to hide a grimace of pain as the bruising on his hip reminded him where it was.

“Take it slow,” Bridger said with concern, watching the boy's face, and seeing the discomfort.

Stubbornness won out again, and Lucas refused any assistance from the Captain of climbing down from the top bunk. Once he had both feet on the floor, he stretched his back as much as it would allow, the stitches pulling and making themselves known.

The Captain walked beside the teenager, trying to remain calm and relaxed, hoping some of it would rub off, allowing the teenager to dictate the pace as they exited the small cabin.

There were a few crew members attending to their duties, and making their way through the corridors as the two of them headed towards the mess hall. Bridger kept his attention focused on looking out for anybody who wanted to stop too long. But his fears of that happening were soon quashed. The foot traffic was fairly constant, but the two of them made their way towards the mess hall without interference or hindrance.

Lucas was trying to push aside his uneasiness and pretend today was just like any other day, walking about the vessel, but his gaze was everywhere at once. Looking side to side, and continually glancing behind him as they took the longer route once more, away from the stairs.

Bridger could see that the teenager was worried about other crew members being out in the corridor and seeing his slower range of movement due to his injured hip. He wanted to try and direct the teenager's mind elsewhere, so decided to start some casual conversation.

“It was smart of you to take Ben's PAL Communicator with you into the vent, but next time, please make it much easier for everybody involved, including me, and let me know where you are,” Bridger teased good-naturedly.

“I nearly did at one point,” Lucas admitted ruefully, walking with his hands shoved deep into his pockets. “Darwin gave my position away quickly enough.”

“Besides what would be the point of that? It couldn't be called _hiding_ then,” Lucas pointed out, tapping a finger against his temple to signify that some thought process had taken place at the time, even though the act itself had been a last minute choice.

Bridger was surprised at the teenager admitting to almost giving in and allowing his hiding place to be discovered, but didn't comment further.

* * *

As the two of them neared the mess hall, the apprehension that Lucas had felt only a few days ago quickly resurfaced, and the teenager stopped at the doorway. He saw the Captain had stopped walking too, and could probably guess at his current state of mind. Taking a deep breath, and exhaling slowly, he felt a hand from Bridger on his left shoulder in encouragement of entering.

The time of day was busy, and there were a lot of people inside gathered in different sized groups at the tables. The room was just as noisy and the smells from the food wafted up from the serving tables. Lucas felt his stomach growl quietly. A few crew members had looked up at the Captain being present, but for the most part they went about eating their own meals and talking amongst themselves.

“Captain, over here,” Krieg called out, signalling to his commanding officer and pleased to see the reluctant teenager trying to overcome his awkwardness.

Bridger saw the hand shoot up from the young Lieutenant, and was grateful that there was only a few of the senior crew members at that particular table.

“Good evening, gentlemen,” Bridger greeted those at the table.

Seated at the table along with Ben Krieg was Jonathan Ford, Miguel Ortiz and Tim O'Neill. Lucas chose a seat next to Ben, with the Captain sitting on the opposite side.

“Good evening, Captain and Lucas,” Commander Ford returned.

For now, all of them were trying their best to keep the atmosphere at the table calm and natural. They had questions on their minds, and all of them were trying to ignore what they had heard the night before. Those present at the table were trying their best to accommodate the teenager and treat him just as they did before they knew about his abuse.

“Hi,” was the short acknowledgement from the teenager, as he glanced around the table, pleased to see familiar faces and not too many people to confront all at once. Lucas had to reposition how he was sitting at the table on a couple of occasions, due to his stitches and sore hip, but he picked up a menu that was casually laying on the table, trying to use it to mask what he was feeling. He could do this he silently told himself

Ben Krieg was the first to break the ice and try to drum up some casual conversation. “Lots on offer today, Lucas.”

“Oh yeah, what did you choose?” the teenager asked, turning to the dark-haired man to ask the question.

Bridger was pleased to see the tension he had noticed across the teenager's shoulders begin to relax just a fraction. They couldn't continue to walk on eggs shells around him every minute of the day. Krieg fell into the role of supportive friend very quickly and easily without it appearing forced or contrived.

“This is what I was thinking about ordering,” Ben said, pointing to it on the folded cardboard booklet and letting the teenager peruse the description and ingredients to see if it was to his liking or something he would be willing to try.

“Too many spices and flavours all at once for me,” Lucas commented, continuing down the list and looking to choose something else.

He was surprised at the large array and variation available. But with more than two hundred people on-board to cater for, the likes, dislikes and preferences from one person to the next would probably be just as extensive he surmised. He didn't envy the kitchen staff of coming up with something to suit and feed everyone three times everyday, and that didn't include extras like drinks, snacks and fruit.

Ben moved closer, using the menu that the teenager was holding as a reference, and used a finger to run down the list, commenting on each dish that was on offer.

“ _No you don't want to try that one.”_

“ _That one doesn't sound too bad, but a little on the healthy side for me.”_

Lucas was listening to the recommendations and disapproval's coming from Ben, grinning at little at the man's off-beat sense of humour as he deliberately mispronounced a couple of the menu options. He didn't necessarily agree with Ben's personal assessment and wanted to make his own choice.

The teenager didn't seem phased or concerned about Ben's proximity inside his personal space, which was seen as a small victory by everyone at the table. Kristin had been successful to a lesser degree, but some of that would be because she was also a doctor and had been treating his injuries. It was only a day ago that Lucas had not been accepting of anybody being near him, including the Captain.

His finely tuned alarm system would let him know when he needed to be wary of anyone in particular. Everybody else was being kept at arms length, both mentally and physically. For now, Krieg and Bridger were the only ones who Lucas was willing to tolerate being close enough to allow any actual touch or personal contact.

Gestures of support or comfort were something he wasn't used to dealing with, and often shrunk away from them as a perceived threat. He didn't always know what was expected or wanted from him in return, and they were rarely given freely before. In the past, affection of any kind showing love or kindness were unfamiliar and non-existent in his life.

Ford was silently following the Lieutenant's attempts at lightening the mood, thinking Krieg might be over-doing it by commenting on nearly every dish on the menu. But a small genuine smile coming from Lucas, and a few tugs of laughter told Bridger that Ben's off-the-cuff approach was working like a charm.

The Captain was very pleased with the Morale officer's efforts. Jonathan and the other men found themselves a little out of their league when it came to being around someone as smart and intuitive as Lucas and much younger. They envied the natural ability that Krieg applied with ease to put the teenager at ease, seeming to be able to do it without drawing attention that he was doing so.

Lucas didn't voice anything out loud that could spoil the moment, and he could see that Ben meant well, so he played along, appreciating the genuine attempts at normalcy. The teenager knew that he wouldn't be able to handle seeing concerned looks and glances from everyone all the time. He told himself that he would have to internalise a lot of the emotions and keep them off his face in the coming days and weeks ahead, to allow the Captain and the crew to go about their own daily lives. But that was going to be easier said than put into practice.

* * *

Tim and Miguel were already half-way through their own meals, and Bridger had made a selection of his own, and added a hot cup of coffee. Before Ben could suggest something else, the head Chef Don, approached the table, carrying a piping hot dish, setting it down before the teenager.

“I thought I would provide something from my personal recipes,” the small Italian man said with a smile. “Something simple that my mother taught me to make when I wasn't much older than you,” he added.

Lucas sniffed the steaming plate appreciatively, “Spaghetti,” he said. Pasta was something he did like. “Thank you. I hope you didn't go to any extra trouble just for me.”

“I put a little extra cheese on top, just to give it a little extra flavour,” the Don informed the teenager. “The sauce is exactly like she used to make at home, and thick enough to stick to your insides and keep you full for longer.”

Bridger could see that the Chef had gone to a little extra trouble that Ben had mentioned earlier in the day, and it looked as though his efforts were worth it.

“The cinnamon custard that I had in med-bay yesterday was nice,” he commented casually, taking a fork and swirling a few of the strands of saucy pasta around the tines.

“The doctor wasn't specific there about what she wanted, except something gentle on your stomach,” the chef replied. “Come by the galley kitchen any time and I will put some aside for you. It is not hard to make. I can even teach you if you want me to. The same with the spaghetti you are trying right now.”

Lucas didn't know how to respond. Nobody had ever offered to show him how to cook anything before. Attempts at making something to eat that he had made during college came about as a necessity. They ended up resulting in a mixture of pure dumb luck or a horrific disaster that happen to taste good.

Don could see the hesitation from the teenager, and erred on the side of caution about pushing too early. “Maybe another time,” he said, seeing that the teenager wasn't quite sure to do about the offer to teach him how to make a few simple meals for himself.

“Maybe,” the teenager agreed, leaving the suggestion open to discussion at another time.

The chef was trying to be accommodating just as much as all the other people seated at the table around him, and whilst Lucas could appreciate that they were trying to do nice things, and the offers of help and inclusiveness were genuine. It was also all a bit too much and becoming overwhelming with everybody trying to do it every time he turned around. He bit his tongue and decided to keep any comments to himself.

“I don't see that option on the menu,” Ben interjected, pleased to see that the kid was eating something. “Looks and smells great.”

“Forget it, Ben, it's not for you. I made it just for him,” Don affirmed, with a cheeky wink at the teenager, signalling that he was deliberately tormenting the Lieutenant with some light banter.

“What about my _individual_ needs,” Ben huffed in mock indignation. “When can I expect some extra special treatment like that?”

“For you Krieg, never,” Don said with finality to his voice. “You already cause me enough problems on a daily basis when bringing all of my ingredients on-board.”

Ben was about to defend himself, but the Chef continued before he could do so.

“You will get what I give you, Krieg and like it, or the only thing you are going to get from me is a bunch of fives,” Don openly taunted. “You and everybody else get the regular menu that is put in front of you.”

Those seated at the table were laughing at the impromptu exchange. Lucas enjoyed it for what it was worth, knowing that the Chef had gone out of his way just for him. He didn't want that to always be the case though. It was all a part of that being _singled-out_ feeling that he wasn't used to and didn't like, even if those involved had the best of intentions.

“Come by tomorrow or the next day, Lucas, or even next week and I will give you a full tour of the galley kitchen and show you where everything is,” Don suggested. “That way you can make something for yourself to your liking any time you want, day or night. No schedule, just when you are ready or have five minutes spare.”

“That would be great, thanks,” Lucas responded, thinking that he would prefer to be able to slip into the kitchen when the mess hall had fewer people about and grab something. That would suit him better than trying to stick to regular meal breaks or times.

Don seemed pleased that the teenager was open to that idea, “Please, don't bring Krieg with you is all I ask as a favour in return.”

Lucas couldn't help but laugh a little at the shocked look on Ben's face again at the Chef's words. Bridger and the other men at the table were hiding smirks of their own at Krieg's expense.

“What is this, _pick on Krieg day_?” Ben shot back.

“What did you do?” Lucas found himself asking, thinking there must be a story behind Don's statement. The Captain was a little more than curious himself.

“Hey, I am innocent until proven guilty,” Krieg started to say, before seeing the Chef fold his arms in front of him, and taking on a demanding stance of wanting him to admit the truth. The tone of Ben's voice gave himself away that something had indeed happened to incur the small man's wrath.

“Out with it, Krieg,” Miguel spoke up on everybody's behalf.

“What! There might have been a _little misunderstanding_ during my first couple of weeks living on-board here. But it wasn't my fault.”

“Sure it wasn't,” Ford commented, having been present during that time and knowing a little of what had taken place.

“A little misunderstanding!” Don said at full volume, instantly regretting yelling.

“My apologises, Captain. But that _misunderstanding_ involved the destruction of at least three appliances by him in my kitchen during the first two weeks alone. Before you came on-board, Sir with Admiral Noyce.”

“Three?” Tim O'Neill weighed into the conversation. “Boy, Krieg, even I am not that challenged by appliances.”

“Yeah, well you had to be there at the time,” Ben said in his own defence. “I swear some of those gadgets had it in for me is all.”

“I promise I will come on my own for the tour,” Lucas promised the Chef. “I don't want to be responsible for setting off the toaster,” he added as a joke.

“Thanks for the spaghetti, that was really nice,” the teenager said, putting his fork down to signal that he had eaten all he wanted. He had consumed most of what was on the plate.

“Glad you enjoyed it,” Don said, taking the plate and heading back to the kitchen.

“I will bring out your dinner in a moment, Captain,” the Chef said to Nathan. “And a second cup of coffee?”

“Yes please if you don't mind,” Bridger confirmed with gratitude.

“I guess I will bring you something out to eat as well, Krieg, before you start complaining,” Don said.

“But I haven't given you my order yet?” Ben pointed out.

“Yes, you did,” the Chef said, confiscating the menu from Krieg's hand. He had a fairly good knowledge of what the man preferred to eat. Those seated at the table continued to laugh at the casual banter.

“I will have another cup of coffee with you, Captain,” Ford offered. Bridger and the Commander went about quietly talking between each other about some of the glitches that were still occurring on-board, and other issues related to the vessel.

* * *

“I will get us something to drink, Lucas,” Ben offered, walking over and collecting a few cold water bottles.

Miguel accepted the one offered to him, but Tim shook his head negatively, getting up from the table and preparing to leave the mess hall.

“I am going to tend to some of my plants,” O'Neill informed the small group.

As he sat down, and noting that Lucas was not really listening to any of the discussion about anything work related, Krieg decided to introduce a new topic of conversation that he knew would pique the teenager's interest.

Lucas opened up the water bottle he was holding, drinking the contents. The first sentence out of Ben's mouth had drawn Bridger's attention as well.

“Only two more weeks, Lucas until this year's game roster comes out,” Ben said idly. “As well as the draft picks for this season.”

The first mention of anything baseball related definitely had the teenager's brain kicking into gear.

“Yeah, well, I haven't seen a game played live for quite a while,” Lucas replied. “But I hope this year my team have a few more options up their sleeve than they usually do. Some of the draft picks for the last two years leave a lot to be desired because they haven't helped us to anything close to a championship.”

“We can watch the first game on the big screen in the recreation room,” Krieg announced. “I will mark it on the calendar, and let you know who is playing when.”

“That would be terrific,” Lucas said with a touch of excitement in his voice for the first time today. “Are there any other people on-board who follow baseball?”

“Bound to be, with a crowd as large as the one we are currently carrying,” Ben said with certainty. “I will put up some flyers on the notice boards, and anybody else can come and watch too.”

Lucas smiled at the idea, though he didn't want to admit out loud that he secretly hoped it was only a small group of people wanting to watch. A handful of people would be his personal preference so that he would be able to enjoy the game. He didn't want to tell Ben that he had watched or listened to games mostly on his own in the past. Unfortunately, he had already revealed that he had never seen a live professional game.

The teenager got up from the table, needing to stretch the muscles in his side and quell some of the pain starting to make itself more noticeable.

“Heading out?” Ben asked casually, not wanting to crowd the kid, but see the needing to know expression on the Captain's face at Lucas' intentions to leave the table.

“Yeah, cannot sit in that one position any longer,” Lucas admitted with a grimace of discomfort.

“Any plans for the rest of the evening, Lucas?” Bridge queried as he put down the cup of coffee.

“Not really, unless you have something specific in mind you want me to do?” the teenager replied.

“Nothing at all,” Bridger asserted, “Please take it easy for now though.” He wanted to repeat the _'my door is always open'_ speech, but didn't think Lucas wanted to hear it again so soon.

“Might spend some time with Darwin near the moon pool for a bit before heading back to my cabin,” Lucas informed him. “After that, I have no idea.”

The four remaining adults watched the teenager pick up the partly empty water bottle, and make his way towards the mess hall doors. His pace at walking was still slow to watch and each of them could only guess at what thoughts were currently going through his head.

Don brought out the meals to the Captain and Krieg.

“How do you think we all did?” Bridger asked, seeing that Don had seen the teenager leave the area as well.

“Too early to tell for now,” Ben answered truthfully. “He was a little more relaxed than I thought he would in here around everybody.”

“Thank you for the food for us and Lucas, Don,” Nathan said to the Chef. “At least that wasn't such a battle this time around.”

“You are most welcome, Captain. I can see the anxiousness in that young man, even after speaking to you earlier about him. I hope he will start to open up and find his feet around here a little more.”

“Let's hope so,” Bridger agreed wholeheartedly.

“I only ask that everyone keep a watch out for any signs that he may not be coping, as best you can without drawing his attention,” he added, knowing that such a feat was no small task.

“You have our combined co-operation, Captain,” Ford spoke on everybody's behalf.

“Thank you all, it is appreciated,” he replied with gratitude. He could only hope that those efforts would be enough when it was needed the most.

Inwardly, Nathan was worried about what might come about once Bill Noyce questioned the boy's father about the abuse.

* * *

For the first half an hour after dinner, Lucas was content enough to submerge his hand in the water of the moon pool, and move it around aimlessly. His thoughts taking him far away. Darwin had come to say hello,and the teenager smiled at the animal, but it soon faded as he tried to force away the encroaching shadows that were beginning to build.

The teenager was happy to see the dolphin. He wished he could go for a swim, and just allow the water to wash away some of the fear and anxiety, but unfortunately it would be at least another week, maybe longer until he stitches would be ready to come out.

Bridger and Ben meant well, as well as the other crew members, but what right did he have burdening everyone with his own problems at all? They barely knew anything about him or what had happened in the past. Over the years, he had taught himself to be stronger mentally, just like he had told the Captain. Sure he could hide his emotions for a time. He could mask the pain sometimes. He could keep everything pent up inside until he couldn't stand it any longer.

But that wasn't always a good solution apparently. Recent history would show that it could and had ended with disastrous results, making him reveal secrets he had wanted to keep hidden until the end of his days. A large part of him wanted to push everyone away again, but some of the crew members were not letting him do that. Bridger being at the forefront. The man was making him take a hard look at himself and face some demons that he didn't want to surface.

Slapping the water with his hand, _What was he going to do?_ He asked himself silently.

Some scars left no visible trace behind, but went a lot deeper than mere physical reminders or heated words. That didn't make them any less painful or damaging.

Bridger and the crew had barely an understanding of what had been occurring at home. They didn't know everything yet, and he aimed to keep it that way for as long as possible. There were things that had happened in his past that he never wanted to tell anybody. It wasn't quite as simple as telling them like a story or just parroting things that his father had done or said.

There was much more to the psychological hold his father had over him, that had developed over time. He doubted he would be able to quantify it anybody even if they wanted him to. He didn't want to remember them, or live through some of those memories again.

Eight years was more than half his life time living in fear from day to day, and he didn't think that anybody on-board this vessel truly understood what a mental battle that it was. Not just to want to exist, but to be allowed to live and survive. Two thousand, nine hundred and twenty days, give or take a few. More than seventy thousand hours. The numbers when you worked them out were staggering.

As anxiousness started to grow within him, tried and true methods that he had employed in the past crept into his mind. There were plans B and C if he ever needed them. They were meant to be _last desperate minute_ or _your life is under serious threat_ plans.

The injuries he was carrying now were not the worst he had ever received, though he was never admitting that to Kristin or anybody else. He had used both once each with varying degrees of successfulness. But here he was again now, still under the threat from his father's wrath, so he may have to re-evaluate that.

Those plans involved the use of other people, and that was definitely something that he was trying to avoid. He had earned his independent stripes the hard way, and he didn't want to drag anybody into his prison, even if they wanted to help. It was only a matter of time. Lucas knew that his father would find a way to stop anybody helping him.

Access to money was still a major problem in the immediate future if he decided that enough was enough and to just cut and run. There was a small amount of funds hidden away, but those too were only when there was no other option. He had disappeared in the past, he could do it again if it became necessary again. This time around, he would be a lot smarter he promised himself. He had not reached that point yet.

Lucas knew that the feelings and emotions that he had now, although perfectly normal some would argue with him, didn't help him at all. He was going to have to try even harder to mask them from everybody. In public, where everybody could see him on-board, he was going to have to put on a different face.

The teenager had learnt from experience not to make such a big deal out of the things that hurt the most. It was the only way he had managed to teach himself to cope. He was going to have to deal with those feelings alone like he had always done, in the dark or in his cabin, when no one else but him would know.

Standing by the moon pool, he used the hand that wasn't in the water to scrub at his tired face, forming a fist and using the knuckles to rub at his eyes. He was tired, but he doubted sleep was going to come any time in the next few hours, maybe even longer.

He couldn't change his mind now, and just say ' _no'_ to Bridger's offer of help, like he probably should have done in the first place. He was going to have to keep himself busy and his mind occupied over the coming days and weeks.

Looking up and gazing about the immediate area, crew members could be seen passing by at various intervals. Thankfully none of them had stopped long enough to scrutinize him or report anything back to Kristin or the Captain.

Lucas left the area, and went back to his cabin. For the remainder of the night, he went about keeping his mind busy by starting on some of the software programming that he had promised Krieg for his stock. There were other smaller projects that he could keep himself occupied with at this time of night over the next few days. He felt like his mind was going around in circles at a million miles an hour. He was using the programming to slow down that thought process and force himself to work productively and block out everything else.

Working quietly away in his cabin, he didn't have to worry about being spotted in the corridor or people asking questions about what he was doing. He was a little surprised that he didn't see any sign of Ben or Bridger checking up on him. But even they needed to sleep sometime and take care of themselves.

By 3.00 a.m. he was fairly certain that most people on-board were sleeping, so he used that time of the night to head to the mess hall and grab a cup of coffee. The more he thought about this time of night and the quietness, the more he liked it. It might just be the plausible solution that he was looking for until something else presented itself.

It would be just after 5.00 a.m. and over two hours later that he could barely keep his eyes open and felt tired enough to attempt sleeping. He turned his music on, and pulled himself up onto the bed, hoping to prevent any nightmares from surfacing. Finding a way to lay without the stitches in his back pulling took a good twenty minutes.

* * *

The next morning, Doctor Kristin Westphalen stood outside the hatch door to the small cabin. Lucas had not come back to see her yesterday, so today she was coming to him instead. It was still fairly early, only approximately 7.00 a.m. She had not attended breakfast in the mess hall yet, but was hoping to catch Nathan before he started on the Bridge this morning to give him an update on the teenager's physical recovery.

Feeling refreshed after gaining some much needed sleep overnight, and hoped that Lucas would have done the same. There were a few matters she wanted to tackle today about him, but one step at a time she told herself, and that was to check on his well-being first.

From this side of the door she could hear the music playing that he had talked about only yesterday. She knocked and waited patiently, repeating it a second time after a few minutes, but then she turned the handle thinking that the music may be preventing Lucas from hearing her at his door.

The door wasn't locked, so she quietly entered the small room. She was prepared for a less than cordial reception at this time of the morning. Her own daughter had objected loudly on many occasions to anyone coming into her room before the crack of noon.

Doctor or not, it was the mothering instinct in her that kicked in hard when she approached the bed, and saw him asleep. The blanket was tangled around his ankles, and she felt her own parental skills starting to re-emerge after being absent for a number of years. She couldn't bring herself to wake him up or disturb him unnecessarily. Any checks she wanted to do or questions she wanted to ask, could wait at least a few more hours.

The teenager must have sensed a presence close to him, as he turned over away from her, grimacing at the discomfort that resulted. A frown briefly crossed his features, but soon smoothed out as he fell back into a deeper state of sleep. She didn't understand how the loud music worked, but she could see the positive results for herself.

How dare any father or parent carry out such awful treatment of somebody who was supposed to be in their care? Just let her have five minutes alone with Mr Lawrence Wolenczak. She would soon show him the error of his ways.

She thought about the injuries she had seen and treated on him and recalled the fear in his voice. The absolute desolation she had heard from Lucas when he was speaking to Nathan and admitting to being subjected to his father's tyranny over a prolonged period of time. The hopelessness that the teenager blindly accepted because he had never had the opportunity to experience anything different.

Never having the chance to dream or be part of a family environment that shed encouragement and everything else that was supposed to go on within a group of people that cared about each other. For any child to grow up losing that kind of faith, it was difficult to comprehend. To be afraid to reach out at the offer of help, or want to shy away from it because it felt unfamiliar and Lucas himself being made to feel unworthy of receiving it. Those were some of the worst kind of crimes in her eyes.

All of that only made her own protectiveness towards Lucas within her grow even stronger.

Kristin quietly left the room, closing the door behind, and heading towards the mess hall for breakfast.

* * *

Good morning, Nathan,” Kristin said cheerfully as she neared his table, pleased to see him still partaking in his own early morning meal. “I hope I am not disturbing you?”

“Not at all,” Bridger said, returning a smile, and using a hand to invite the doctor to take a seat. “Please, join me in a cup of coffee.”

“I am sorry that I wasn't present last night at dinner,” she apologised. “I was a little more tired than I thought,” she added, pouring a cup of coffee for herself from the pot on the Captain's table.

“You needed some rest yourself,” Nathan said. “I was intending to share lunch with Lucas, but he had fallen asleep in his own cabin while Ben was arranging it. He was quite depressed in my quarters, and didn't want to face anybody afterwards. I thought I might have to come and get you at one point.”

“Fear is still a strong force in him when it comes to mentioning anything about his father finding out about other people knowing about the abuse. Just like you saw down in med-bay.”

“There are still a lot of triggers that we may not be aware of yet,” Kristin pointed out. “The crew and anybody else here on-board are going to have to be patient with him and very understanding about how some things may affect him for the foreseeable future.”

“Yes, I think they do grasp that on some level,” Bridger agreed, finishing off a second cup, but not intending to have another.

Changing the direction of the conversation, “You will be happy to note, that I managed to get Lucas to join me in here for dinner, and finally eat.”

“That is wonderful news,” she agreed. “I just went to check on him now because he didn't come back to see me yesterday. How does he sleep with that music so loud?”

“I have no idea, but it is good to hear that he was sleeping,” Bridger replied. “Ben and I both left him alone after he left here after dinner. He said he was going to visit Darwin at the moon pool, but didn't know what he wanted to do after that.”

“I went to check on him a couple of times in the afternoon before dinner while you were sleeping. On the third occasion, he was awake and sitting up, staring through the water of the aqua tube,” Bridger informed her.

“Still coming to terms with everything I would imagine,” Kristin surmised, knowing that the battle was only just beginning on many fronts.

“I cannot say for certain, but I guess the only way to describe what I saw was that he looked lost,” Bridger commented with a touch of concern. “He was worried about how the crew members that overheard were going to treat him now. That revelation is still weighing fairly heavily on his mind, in addition to everything else.”

“What else did the two of you talk about?” the doctor asked, grateful that Lucas was at least communicating on some level with Nathan. That was more than he was doing with anybody else at the moment.

“He started apologizing for hiding in general, admonishing himself harshly and thinking that we must have thought the whole idea was stupid,” Nathan said, but Kristin could see there was something else troubling the man.

Bridger looked up at her, “Do you know what he said to me?”

Kristin shook her head, but knowing that it must have been something troubling for Nathan to hear.

“That he has done it before on more than one occasion, and it has saved him in the past from something worse happening,” Bridger repeated.

“How can anyone......?” he started to say, but stopped, picking up his coffee cup and drinking from it instead to wash away any harsh words on the tip of his tongue that were there about Lawrence Wolenczak.

“That boy has been so much that we cannot even imagine about yet,” Kristin said, knowing that they were only just beginning to scratch the surface. “We just have to be there for him.”

“I told him that I wanted things to be honest between us, and that is why I told him about everybody knowing,” Bridger continued to explain. “In return he told me that Ben had spoken to him a few days ago about my Robert and that he had passed away.”

“It is good that he is trying to be honest too,” Kristin said, thinking that she couldn't blame Lucas for wanting to keep back some things about his past.

“I told him to ask me about Robert any time. Ben must have dozens of stories to share about the pair of them together. More than they shared with me sometimes,” Bridger said.

“To put him more at ease, I told Lucas that I have done my own fair share of hiding, even up until very recently,” Bridger responded. “I could see that he didn't necessarily believe our situations were even remotely similar. But he listened.”

“I invited him to come here for dinner, which he accepted reluctantly. He is still being stubborn about how much his leg is hurting when he walks around on it, but I assume we can expect that for another few days at least.”

“What happened when he came in here?” Kristin asked, wanting to know.

“Ben and a few of the other crew members were here eating their own dinners. He stopped at the doorway, and wanted to make a retreat, but I persisted, and he entered with a little silent encouragement. The place was busy again and noisy, but he pushed through and made his way over to the table.”

“Ford and the other men were a little unsure how to start talking to him, but Ben was a natural and just started talking to him like any other day. Together they were looking down the menu, with Ben making jokes and comments the whole time, trying to put him at ease.”

“What did he order to eat, and did he finish it?” Kristin enquired.

“He didn't order from the menu,” Bridger stated, “Don brought out a tray of spaghetti he made just for Lucas. He made a substantial dent in what was put in front of him. He didn't finish the whole plate, but he told the chef he enjoyed it. He also said to the chef that he enjoyed the custard that he tried in med-bay.”

“That was nice of the chef to make something just for him,” Kristin commented.

“The chef has invited him for a tour of the kitchens in the next few days so that he can show him where everything is. Lucas will be able to make something for himself when he wants,” the Captain told her. “Don even offered to show him how to make the spaghetti and custard, but he didn't quite answer yes to that offer yet.”

“I am hoping Lucas won't give me too much of an argument when I ask him to come and visit me down in med-bay this morning,” the doctor mentioned. “I want to start filling in some of the unknown details on his medical file.”

“How are you going to get him to volunteer for that?” Bridger asked, thinking that it was going to be more than a touchy subject.

“I was hoping you and Mr Krieg both might be able to help me on that front,” Kristin said with a sly smile.

“Oh?” the Captain voiced with intrigue. The man could see that she had already formulated some kind of plan.

“Remember that little problem of you and Ben not having up-to-date files either?” she hinted behind her coffee cup.

“Yes,” Bridger said, now knowing where the conversation was headed.

The Captain remembered giving her his promise of making himself available at any time she requested. If would help Lucas to become a little more relaxed in answering some of her questions, he was willing to try. Although he wasn't entirely happy about having to submit to her testing himself this morning. He had thought he could have dodged that bullet for a little longer.

“Don't be too concerned, today is just filling in basic paperwork and a couple of minor base line readings,” she said, seeing the man squirming uncomfortably. As much as she expected most of the crew and staff on-board to do once their time came to submit to her request. “I don't want the session to go on too long.”

“I was going to tell Lucas myself,” Kristin conveyed with some sense of foreboding. “I thought I would leave informing the Lieutenant about his obligations to you.”

“Thanks a lot,” Bridger said with a brief laugh, knowing that Ben would probably be just as vocal in his objection as Lucas in participating.

“At least with Mr Krieg, you or Commander Ford can make it an executive order,” Kristin pointed out. “Otherwise I could employ Katie Hitchcock to strong-arm him into attending if he refuses your request. With Lucas, I am hoping to persuade him that it is for his own good.”

“Suddenly my job just became a whole lot easier,” Bridger speculated, pouring more coffee for himself.

He offered another to Kristin but she refused by putting her hand over the cup. One was enough this morning. She would probably need another one later, thinking about the difficult task that she had assigned for herself, and silently agreeing that Nathan had the easier job.

* * *

Before any further conversation could happen between Bridger and Kristin, both looked up and were pleasantly surprised to notice Ben Krieg entering the mess hall, with Lucas casually walking alongside of him. The time was 8.00 a.m. in the morning.

They couldn't hear what Ben was saying from this distance, and he was doing most of the talking. Lucas didn't pause in the doorway this time, but he was looking about the room. Today's crowd was a little less due to being breakfast time, and it wasn't quite as noisy.

Krieg kept the conversation going, using his hands to talk as the two of them joined the queue, grabbing a tray each to select from the service tables. Ben ensured that the teenager was standing in front of him rather than behind, preventing the chance of giving him any opportunity to change his mind.

Lucas gave a short greeting to Don the chef as he spotted the two of them in the line, giving Krieg some cheek and Ben returning fire quickly enough. The teenager selected some pancakes and butter, and a small plate of toast. He shook his head when other selections were offered, and he left the two of them, starting to walk over to where he spotted the Captain and Kristin sitting.

“Good morning, Lucas,” Kristin greeted him, perhaps a little too cheerfully as he paused in his step and gave her a look back of _'are you kidding me'._

“Morning,” the teenager said to the two of them, putting his tray down, and seeing that it was immediately being inspected and assessed as being suitable for breakfast.

Lucas didn't say anything out loud, but he wasn't about to listen to any comments he could see forming on the doctor's lips about the choices he had made. He was here in person, he had slept a couple of hours, and he had food in front of him. They should be lucky to count any one of those feats as a victory by their own individual merits. All three of them happening together was something they would rarely see from him.

_What more did they want from him this early in the morning?_

Bridger didn't say anything about what was on his tray, and appeared more relaxed compared to Kristin. Maybe it was just the doctor in her coming out too strongly for his liking this early in the day.

Ben Krieg came along with his own tray containing quite a lot more on it, putting it down before the heavy laden tray could become unbalanced. “Look who I found when I was passing through the corridor near the moon pool,” he casually joked, pouring a cup of coffee and adding milk and sugar.

“This is not my idea of the best time of day, Krieg,” Lucas said in response, but his mood was improving a little as he began pouring his own coffee, keeping it black and stronger.

“Couldn't sleep very much?” Bridger gauged despite that Kristin had told him that she had found him asleep not too long ago. There were signs that he hadn't slept that well or could use a whole lot more. He wasn't going to push the issue too much just yet.

“No, not really,” Lucas, surprising himself by truthfully admitting to it, but flatly refusing to enter into any more discussion about it.

“Keeping Darwin company this morning?” Bridger asked, knowing that he had done the same thing himself before coming into the mess hall for breakfast.

“Yes,” Lucas answered with a small grin, that tell-tale positive change in his demeanour shining through when he was talking about the mammal. Bridger had observed it on a number of occasions, and was pleased to see the bond between the dolphin and the teenager helping somewhat.

“I wish I could go for a swim with him today, but I guess that is out of the question for now,” he added, grabbing a toast square.

“In ten days or so you will be able to again,” Kristin said with promise in her voice, but she could see that her prediction wasn't the time frame that the teenager was hoping to hear. “You can still spend time with him and keep each other company.”

“Yeah, but that will feel like forever and is not exactly the same thing,” he huffed a little, but knowing himself how long stitches were general in place for.

“What are you planning on doing for the morning after breakfast, Lucas?” Nathan asked casually.

The question had the expected effect with the teenager stopping eating, looking over at the Captain with a little curiosity and a whole lot of suspicion on his face. More than he had last night when leaving the mess hall. Bridger had asked almost the exact same question then, but he suspected today it wasn't merely out of courtesy or inquisitiveness.

When Lucas looked over at Ben, his friend was carrying on with his breakfast, seemingly unaware of anything going on. He didn't sense a threat today, but something was definitely going on as he looked at the Captain and over towards Doctor Westphalen.

Last night he had asked the Captain if he had anything in mind for him to do, but Bridger had told him there wasn't. The tone of the man's voice this morning told him that something had already been planned without his knowledge. He had taught himself to pick on subtle changes like this with people in the past, because he had needed to depend on or perceive any impending threat.

“Was there something you wanted me to do?” the teenager asked, waiting to see if the Captain would give him a straight answer the first time.

“No, no, not that I can think of right now,” Bridger answered, “I will let you know if I do.”

It was a game of cat and mouse at the moment, and Lucas was willing to play for now.

“I was thinking about working with Darwin on the vocorder for most of the morning,” Lucas stated, leaving the half finished cup of coffee. “It doesn't require me getting into the water with him.”

“I could help you Ben, if you still had needed help with putting away some of that stock?” Lucas asked, trying to catch the Bridger out if he could.

Krieg swallowed the mouthful of food that he had been eating, and could see that the teenager was trying not to say something out loud in his answers to the Captain.

“No, I don't have anything straight away......,” he began to say, but was interrupted before he could finish the sentence.

“Ben will be helping me this morning,” Nathan stated firmly, but the look of confusion on Krieg's face was all the teenager needed to confirm that his friend was being roped into something too without his knowledge.

“I will?” Ben said before feeling a sharp kick to his shin underneath the table from Doctor Westphalen.

“Oh I mean, yes I do have something to attend to with you, Sir,” he answered, looking at Kristin for the reason behind her not-so-subtle attempts at getting him to agree to what the Captain had said.

Everybody at the table knew that the gig was up and Lucas wasn't believing any of them. He wasn't angry at any of them _per se_ ; he just wished they would plainly say what they wanted rather than dance around any topic because of worrying about hurting his feelings or upsetting him without meaning to.

Lucas pushed aside his tray, and stacked what he had not finished onto it. He could see the not so subtle looks from the doctor at his efforts. He had eaten all he wanted for now.

“Lucas I would like to check those stitches of yours again please before you resume any projects you are planning to do,” Kristin requested. “You forgot to come and see me yesterday after you promised to do when I released you from med-bay.”

Lucas rolled his eyes at her challenge, but that didn't give an answer for Bridger's evasiveness. Unfortunately he felt obligated to do what she asked, “Yes, okay,” he said.

The teenager got up from the table, wanting to leave the mess hall. The longer he sat in here with them, the more he could see unanswered questions mounting about how much he had or hadn't eaten. About his health and everything else. Hopefully going somewhere else to do something productive for a few hours would give him a little peace from that for a few hours.

Kristin got up from the table too, getting ready to leave, but felt she needed to be honest with Lucas herself about what she was intending to ask him to do this morning.

“Lucas, wait for a minute, please,” she called out to him as he slowly made his way to the door.

Bridger and Ben could see her having a couple of quiet words with the teenager. Krieg couldn't hear what the doctor was saying to him, it wasn't long before he heard the response though.

“Today?” the teenager shouted with a bit more volume to his voice. Followed rapidly by a second exclamation, “Now?”

Lucas took a step away from her, raising his arms up in a defensive stance until the stitches in his back pulled up sharply to stop any tirade from building further. His arms fell limply by his side as any fight in him was quickly extinguished. He didn't want to do the combative thing today, and turned to face Kristin.

The Captain was about to get up from the table, thinking that he may be required to step in to help Kristin, but he had only started to rise from the seat when he saw a definite change from the teenager.

“Please,” Kristin pleaded with him, putting a gentle hand on his lower arm, and hoping she could get him to co-operate without too much fuss. She leaned in closer and said something else to him that made the teenager suddenly look up sharply over towards the two men still seated at the breakfast table.

Lucas reluctantly conceded defeat, nodding his head in agreement at Kristin. Nathan watched the teenager walk out of the mess hall in the doctor's company, knowing that the teenager was less than happy. Bridger knew that he wouldn't be able to stay where he was much longer either, and would need to inform Ben of his own fate.

* * *

“I wonder what that was all about?” Krieg said, finishing his breakfast and drinking the last of his coffee. “I thought we were going to have a major problem there for a minute.”

Bridger acknowledged the man's comment, finishing his own coffee and getting ready to speak. Just when he thought the man was blissfully unaware of what he was going to be needed for today, the man spoke up.

“So what was the real reason Kristin was viciously attacking and kicking my leg underneath the table that you didn't want Lucas to know about, Sir?” Ben asked his Commanding Officer.

Bridger smiled at the man's candidness to call him out on the subterfuge.

The Captain was about to explain himself and Kristin's plans when Commander Jonathan Ford entered the mess hall, intending for a short break and a hot cup of coffee. Nathan saw the opportunity to tell Ben exactly what he wanted to know, but not allow him to get away off the hook either.

“Good morning, Captain. Lieutenant Krieg,” Ford formally greeted them.

“Good morning yourself, Jonathan,” Bridger returned. “I was just about to come and find you and make sure that you had no need of the young lieutenant here for the next couple of hours?”

“Next couple of hours?” Krieg remarked, sitting up much straighter and recognising that he was being set up for something. “Now, wait just a minute......Sir,”

Ford could see the uneasiness on Ben's face and the smirk from Bridger, and knew that the Captain was cooking up something that Krieg would not ordinarily want to do.

“Consider him assigned to you for as long as you need this morning, Captain,” Ford said, chuckling at little at the expression on Krieg's face. “The lieutenant doesn't anything else to do today other than his usual workload.”

“Hey, and it is very important work too,” Krieg tried to argue back. “Very necessary and under appreciated work,” he added, but he could see that his words were falling on deaf ears.

“No doubt you would want me to make that an executive order wouldn't you, Sir?” he added, knowing that Krieg was military enough to know his pecking order in the scheme of things.

“Definitely, Commander, at the very least,” Bridger said in his most authoritative voice.

Nathan knew once Ben was aware the ploy was to help Lucas, that he would be more than willing to help out. The man's posturing about needing to be ordered to carry out something for the Captain, was merely comedic relief that Krieg had already employed on a number of occasions when dealing with the teenager.

“You are both of my Christmas card list this year,” Krieg grouched.

“It might be less than that, Commander, but Ben and I are going to be going down to med-bay in a few minutes, filling out some medical paperwork on ourselves while Kristin is encouraging Lucas to fill out his own. Then she is intending on doing a couple of basic tests. She doesn't want to overwhelm him too much at once. We don't even know what his reaction is going to be to some of her questions yet.”

“Now I know why Lucas was objecting so much when he left here a couple of minutes ago,” Krieg said plainly. “I think I will join him in protest.”

“I will be doing it too, Lieutenant. Kristin hopes that with both of us being subjected to the same treatment, that Lucas will relax enough to do the same, and be willing to accept her to ask a few questions afterwards. Everybody on this vessel is going to have to do the same thing eventually, just like we were told by her in the Ward Room.”

“Somehow the order of who was supposed to go first is all messed up. By my calculations, you should have been first before anybody, Sir?” Ben identified. “By ranking officer, or the person whom the doctor has the least information about. Lucas being excluded there.”

“Let's go down there before Lucas has the chance to change his mind,” Bridger instructed. “I will find you later on the Bridge, Commander. Until then, you know where to find me if you need anything, but it might be best if there wasn't much of a crowd down there for now.”

“Understood, Captain,” Ford said.

“You three had to go and ruin and spoil my perfectly good mood for this time of the day,” Krieg announced as he started walking out with Bridger. “Lucas is off the hook, because he is an innocent party to this conspiracy too!”

* * *

By the time Bridger and Krieg entered the med-bay area of the science labs, Lucas was already seated on a chair, and had been talking quietly with Kristin. Now he was back down here, Lucas had begun to feel guilty about the way he had spoken to Kristin when she was treating him, and leaving med-bay the way he had.

“Thank you for attending gentlemen, if you would both like to take a seat on those chairs there, I will hand out clipboards to you all in a minute. There will be a number of forms that you all need to fill out as much as possible.”

Ben had taken a seat on one side of Lucas, Bridger on the other. “Let me just say that I was dragged into this as much as you today, buddy,” Krieg announced loud enough for Kristin to hear his hollow complaint.

“If I have to do this, so do you,” Lucas declared with no sympathy for Krieg's fate of having to comply as well.

Ben looked down at the teenager's right hand and could see that the bruising from the I.V. needle was now quite noticeable and darkening. “Does it hurt?” he asked, noting the colour of the bruise he could see.

“No it doesn't,” Lucas answered all too quickly, pulling his hand away out of Krieg's reach.

At least his stitches and the bruising to his back and hip were covered so that nobody could see them most of the time. He knew Ben meant well, but feeling the concern from his friend and seeing it on the Captain's face made him feel awkward and want to hide the fresh discolouration to his hand away from prying eyes that much more.

“Let me know if anything does hurt enough for you to need any pain relief, Lucas,” Kristin brought up. “I will give you the paperwork in a minute, but if you will follow me into the next room, I want to measure your height and get you up on the scales to determine your weight.”

Kristin probably already had enough notes and information about him already to fill a few pages. Lucas stood up, ready to follow her instructions, “This is humiliating,” he said unhappily, but knowing that he couldn't avoid the situation forever.

A few minutes later, the two of them returned. “If you want privacy about any of the results or answers on your forms Lucas, I can put you in a separate room to Ben and the Captain if you like? The choice is yours.”

Lucas looked over at the two men for a moment thinking about her offer, “Sounds rather redundant now when they already know everything else about me,” he answered.

“The choice is still up to you,” Kristin reiterated, wanting to allow him to have as much to say about his own health and treatment as much as possible. He was still a minor, but old enough to understand anything being discussed about him, or being done to him physically.

“Thanks, I do appreciate that,” Lucas said, pleased that she had taken the time to offer and grant him some say. “I don't even know if I can answer much for you on your forms. So long as everything that goes on them or my file, stays between me and you three for the most part. Ben and the Captain have already seen me at my worst and the injuries.”

“Nothing will leave these walls to any other third-party without your express permission, I promise, unless I think it is necessary as your doctor. That would only change if you are in a situation where you are unable to provide me with that permission and I need to make an informed decision about your health,” Kristin said. “I apply the same rules and high standards of privacy to everybody who is one of my patients.”

She had wanted to add a little in there about that including Child Protection Services, but erred on the side of caution at this stage. She would wait until she had prepared her report ready for them, and then talk to him about her obligations.

Ben and Bridger knew that the teenager was granting them access to information about himself that he probably wasn't prepared to share with many others on-board. Both of them saw it as a rare opportunity to connect with Lucas more, and they promised themselves that they wouldn't break that trust unless they had no other choice. And it felt like a lot of trust that he was giving them.

“Let's get started on these forms. I already have some data to add to your file and the computer, but we need to begin somewhere with the basics,” she explained.

Handing out the three clip-boards, to Nathan first, then Ben, and then Lucas, she watched the expression on his face as he took it from her, and accepted the pen to write with. She could see the apprehension mounting in him already, like she expected. The teenager watched the Captain begin to write on his forms, and then proceed to start his own.

“I was going to take a blood sample from you today, but seeing as how you have eaten breakfast not so long ago, that will have to wait until later today, or the readings will be useless.”

“Well that is something to be thankful for,” Lucas said, definitely not wanting to be poked with needles again this morning.

“Your height, Lucas is within normal ranges for a teenage boy your age, but I expect that you could grow quite a bit taller yet,” Kristin in formed him. “Five feet seven inches or more than 173 centimetres tall is your current measurement.”

“You really think so?” he asked hopefully. In the past he had considered himself a little too short, and couldn't wait to grow a few more inches taller, but never really knowing what his final height might be. He didn't know much about his family history to recall if anybody was really tall or short.

Lawrence Wolenczak was a large man, but Lucas had never used his height as a guide to what he might reach himself based on similar characteristics. He tried not to compare himself to his father on any level, including physical attributes.

“Yes,” Kristin said with a smile at seeing he was pleased with her prediction. She saw him thinking on her assessment, before resuming writing again.

“However, your weight is a little under what would be considered healthy,” she admonished gently, knowing that there had been other forces out of his control as contributing factors. “You need to gain a few more pounds to reach what would be ideal, so eat more pie.”

Lucas tried to take her words in the spirit they were intended to be, but his eating habits were a sore spot that he didn't want to discuss. There were a lot of things surrounding food that they didn't know about, and he wasn't about to write it down for them now.

Ben could see the teenager's change in mood about his weight, and saw him trying push down what he was feeling about Kristin's views and opinions on healthy eating choices and options. He decided to introduce a little impromptu performance, so that the teenager would start to think about something else.

“Miss, he is cheating on me,” Ben directed at Kristin all of a sudden, changing his voice slightly and making Lucas look up from his own forms.

Krieg pulled the clipboard closer to his chest, looking back at the teenager and trying to get him to relax, “Stop looking!” he accused, pleased to see the tugs of a smile appear on the boy's face.

Lucas decided to play along with Ben's antics for a moment, “What is there to look at, you haven't even written anything down yet,” he challenged in return.

Ben laid the clipboard down again, so that Bridger and Kristin could see, and they both started to laugh, seeing that the teenager was correct, Ben hadn't even begun filling out his own form yet. The page was blank. The boy had outsmarted him.

“I, on the other hand, am almost finished,” Lucas declared to Kristin, handing her back the clipboard, looking back at Krieg as he handed back the pen. He knew there were a few pieces blank spaces on the forms.

“Almost finished?” Ben scoffed, not believing the teenager for a second.

Bridger had been quickly observing the interaction between Ben and Lucas, and was pleased to see that Krieg's efforts again were going way above what was expected of him. He was only about half-way through his own forms, and was starting to feel that he didn't want to complete them either. All this bureaucratic red-tape and useless data collection had never sat well with him when he was in the service the last time.

* * *

“There are a few pieces of information missing from here, Lucas, if you don't mind me asking about them,” Kristin pointed out in seriousness. She knew he had tried to write a few things down, but hoped she could fill in a few more details yet.

“Your professors at college were correct about your hand-writing,” Kristin commented, starting the questions with something the two of them had discussed. “It is very small.”

Lucas gave a small grin at her remembering such an indiscriminate piece of information about him, “Now you can see what they were talking about for yourself and why they were often on my case.”

Ben was immediately trying to get a look at what the doctor was referring to. “Great penmanship. Very neat. How do you do that?”

Krieg had begun writing on his own forms, and the teenager pounced on what he could see about Ben's own handwriting style.

“How do you manage to get yours looking like chicken scratches?” Lucas asked. “Kristin is going to need a translator to read any of your answers.”

Apart from the boy's name, Ben was able to jump on the first new piece of information about the teenager. “December 23! Your a Christmas baby?”

“That is what my birthday says,” Lucas admitted, not seeing any real significance to the date. He wasn't about to tell them that it had never been a day to remember or ever drawn anyone's attention before.

“Oh the celebrations and parties we are going to have. Double the presents,” Ben said with excitement, but his exuberance was falling a little flat.

“What is your date of birth?” the teenager asked Ben, trying to deflect the attention away from himself.

“9th of February,” Ben wrote down, followed by the year.

“Your _that_ old?” Lucas poked in fun with a mock expression of pity on his face. “Did they have electricity back where you lived when you were growing up?” he openly taunted.

“Oh ha, ha, funny guy,” Ben said, but coping the ribbing he was receiving. It was good to see that the teenager could let his guard down just a little, and turn the table on someone else with a joke.

“If you think I am elderly, I cannot imagine what your choice words would be for the Captain and Kristin,” Ben said, looking over at Bridger.

“Yeah, but with him being Captain, they start to call it _distinguished_ by his age,” Lucas answered cheekily. “And with Kristin they would call it _experienced_.”

“Distinguished!” Bridger countered good-naturedly. “I am not quite out for the count yet, or ready to be put out to pasture you young whipper-snappers.”

“Experienced indeed, young man,” Kristin responded with mock indignation of her own. “While we are sharing birthdays, mine is the 10th August. I expect the customary best wishes on the day followed by a full English breakfast.”

“Come on, yours too,” Lucas prompted Bridger. Krieg hadn't dared ask Kristin or Nathan for their birthdays.

“It's no secret,” Nathan started to answer, “The 17th of March.”

Ben was the one who picked up on the date straight away as being a significant date for many people on the calendar, “Leprechauns and Irish stew and whiskey for everybody lucky enough to come from the Emerald Isle!” Krieg declared. “Saint Patrick's Day!”

“I hate to ruin your party plans and ideas, Ben, but I am not even slightly Irish,” Bridger said with a laugh. “No shamrocks, harps or celtic knots of any kind to be found.”

“Doesn't matter, Sir. On the 17th March, everybody claims to be a little Irish for Saint Paddy's day,” Ben promised.

“Hey I need to create a birthday list for everybody on-board. I could work some of them into the themes for my social hang-out nights. Commander Ford and Miguel Ortiz are only a day apart for their birthdays in March. I will have to make a diligent effort to learn or find out dates for other crew members.”

“Telling a few tales out of school now, but I don't even remember my twenty-first birthday, courtesy of Bill Noyce,” Bridger said, admitting to a time in his life that he could scarcely remember before marrying and having a family. Sometimes his old memory banks coughed up shreds from his youth out of nowhere and allowed him to venture down nostalgia lane.

“The Admiral!” Krieg said, his eyebrows almost disappearing into his hair-line at such a piece of noteworthy material about both high-ranking men and their younger years. He knew both of them had been friends and served a long time together.

“Well, Bobby and I don't exactly have happy snaps of our twenty-first birthdays to show off to anyone either,” he said with a knowing smirk to Bridger. “I don't know if he ever told you, but we spent his and mine, stranded with no money and hang-over's that will go down forever in history and legend as the worst either of us have ever had.”

“His mother read him the riot act when she found out,” Bridger informed Krieg. “Carol was looking to hunt you down too and give you a piece of her mind.”

“Glad I missed that then,” Krieg said with a apologetic smile. Bobby had said in the past that his mother was a beautiful soul, until you got on the wrong side of her temper.”

Krieg looked down at Lucas's form in the doctor's hand and noted the place of birth that was listed. “You were born in Buffalo, New York.”

“Yes, but I don't remember living anywhere else except San Jose, California, Krieg,” Lucas said, his mood changing again, at having to recall any details about himself.

“I myself, first and foremost am a Californian boy, born and bred,” Krieg announced with pride. “So you are in good company.”

“Time to move on please, or we are going to be here all day,” Kristin interrupted, seeing the change in the teenager's mood, and still wanting a few more answers before he displayed even more disinterest.

* * *

“The address section has been left blank?” Kristin pointed out, but she saw Lucas stiffen immediately at her little observation. He was hoping that he could get away with not writing it down.

Some would argue that technically, he didn't really have a place to call _home_ at the moment with bring stuck on SeaQuest, but he didn't want sound too ungrateful by bringing that up right now. Being here was still a temporary solution, and he was only too mindful of that, no matter what Bridger promised or told him, and what measures he had gotten Admiral Noyce to agree with.

“Sorry, I must have missed that line,” he mumbled, taking the clipboard back and resting the ball-point of the pen on the paper long enough to leave an imprint on the paper without any ink. He could feel the three sets of eyes on him, and waiting for him to continue.

Sighing audibly at the unfairness that he felt, he started to write, still trying to avoid doing so for as long as possible. “Do I have to write it in full?”

“That would be best please,” Kristin said gently, but seeing that he didn't want to reveal any information pertaining to a place designated as his home. She could imagine that bringing up such a place would only invoke bad memories of his time living there. Considering what had happened only recently.

“126 Lawrence Way, Evergreen Estates, San Jose, California,” he finally wrote, almost wanting to wash his hands once he handed back the form. That _house_ or _prison_ , however anybody wanted to call it or eventually refer to it as. For Lucas himself, it would never be considered as a home.

When he saw Kristin looking at the address, he felt he needed to add a little explanation to her about where it was and it's overall description. “A large, modern concrete, three storey place, set about ten miles from the nearest neighbouring estates in any direction. Just like it was designed to be. There is a huge electronic gate at the front and a high wall built around it to keep everything and everybody in or out.”

 _'Lawrence Way',_ Bridger thought to himself silently. How conceited did the boy's father have to be to name even the roadway leading up to the house after himself? No wonder Lucas was feeling like he was at the moment.

Ten miles from anywhere would have prevented anybody knowing what could have been happening inside or offer help to Lucas, or if he wanted to try and escape. From what details the teenager gave, it sounded like a cold, unfriendly place and set up like Fort Knox, with sophisticated security to match he assumed.

Lucas got off the chair he was sitting on, “Just stretching a little,” he told them, but the three adults could see how much writing down the San Jose address was affecting him. He forced himself to sit down again after a short time. He knew he wasn't fooling anybody.

“Please, can we continue and get the rest of this over with,” he requested, forcing himself not to leave the room. When he first agreed to doing this in the mess hall at breakfast, he could never have predicted how strong some of the emotions that were swelling up within him now were going to become. By merely having to write down something as simple as his address.

To try and keep his mind occupied elsewhere, Lucas did look over at what Krieg was writing down, and noted Ben's address for himself. “13926 Challenger Loop, Honolulu,” he recited.

“Yeah, only a small two bedroom place. The kitchen is not big enough to swing a cat around in, but I am rarely there to cook or eat anyway. Someday I will take you there for a visit and show you around,” Krieg said, returning to being a friend and leaving any wisecracks aside for now. “The beach isn't too far away either in a few different directions so that you can enjoy the ocean.”

“Left to me by my father, he used to live and stay there too during his own academy days. I never needed to move anywhere else as it was close enough to attend classes. Hickham Baseball Field was only a few blocks away to walk to. There are a few great places to eat nearby and plenty of places to visit that are not exclusively for military personnel.”

“It is not much, but with me going to be living on SeaQuest for more than the best part of a year, I won't need anything else bigger for the moment,” Krieg continued.

“Sounds like a great place,” Lucas said, genuinely intrigued by what he was hearing.

What he wouldn't give to have a place like that, he could call his own, where he could shut the world out. No matter how big or small it was. Maybe that was something he could look forward to having one day when he was older, or perhaps it was merely a pipe-dream that would never eventuate.

Krieg looked over at the Captain, who was being totally too quiet for his liking and had a strange expression on his face. “What did you put, Captain, Sir?”

Lucas was the one to look over and catch a glimpse of what Bridger had written in the space provided.

“SeaQuest? Really? That was the best you could come up with?” the teenager challenged. “What about that mysterious island that you were supposed to be living on?”

“Well, I don't live there at the moment, so this is the only place I have to put down right now,” he rationalised. “I will tell those who I feel deserve to know at the appropriate time about its true location, when I decide to do so. I set it up specifically so that people couldn't find me, so I guess I have a little trouble letting go of that yet.”

“That is so not fair at all, Sir,” Krieg replied, seeing that Lucas was nodding in agreement with him too at his remark.

Ben had heard rumours about this island as much as the next person, but nothing too specific. He remembered Katie telling him that she went there to drag the Captain back upon Admiral Noyce's orders. Not request, she had been ordered not to take _'no'_ as an answer, so she had been there, but had failed to share its exact location, or any specific details with him.

Bridger had been very difficult to persuade and it had taken a personal visit from Noyce to even encourage the man to come and look at his dream, built and put to practical use.

“I tried finding out information about your island in the hopes of talking to you about your scientific research, Nathan. The only answer I ever got from anybody at U.E.O. headquarters, was that you were ex-communicado, and that you couldn't be reached.”

Kristin was a little surprised that Nathan was being a little too evasive as well. The man was supposed to be helping Lucas be more open about his past, not join his ranks. Lucas wasn't the only one being secretive on some occasions.

* * *

Continuing on the best way she could, Kristin focused on Lucas' answers, rather than Nathan's. There may have been legitimate military reasons why he was withholding further details, and no doubt it would be for totally different reasons than Lucas that she wasn't privy too. She would tackle that at another time.

She noted that the next piece of information that the teenager had written down on his form, and gave him another look of empathy. She could only assume that writing those answers would have brought up just as much anxiety in the boy; his parents names.

Lucas saw her looking at the names he had listed, and could see the unasked questions, and feel the wave of emotions coming off her and the concern that she could barely mask. He had only given his father's first initial; _L. Wolenczak_ and _C. Holt_ as the second name.

“Holt was your mother's maiden name?” she asked gently, not knowing how strong the connection between mother and son were, compared to the life of fear that existed with his father.

“Yes,” the teenager said, but his short answer didn't give anything away about how he felt towards her.

Bridger thought back to when Lucas had told him about his parents being divorced and was asking if he was staying on as Captain of the SeaQuest. At the time, the teenager had only said about how miserable they had been when living together. _'If only the real truth had been found out then'_ he said to himself.

Ben started to think back about his early theory of Robert Cooper being involved in Lucas' injury to his shoulder, and drawing a comparison. That seemed to be different now that they had found out about his father's mistreatment.

It didn't make him like the guy any more though, but it meant that the teenager was having to deal with some nasty stuff on-board in addition to what he had already been subjected to at home. His friend had accepted the empty threats and harassment because he it was what he was used to hearing.

Ben had seen the Captain drift off into his own thoughts for a moment, but it didn't last long, and he came back to the present as he heard Lucas speak again. The boy's next statement was shocking to them all to say the least.

“If you are looking for information about her, then you are asking the wrong person. I barely know her, and she hasn't wanted to be a part of my life for as long as I can remember,” Lucas said, but there wasn't any animosity in his voice, or bitterness as he spoke.

“ _Hasn't wanted to be....'_ was the part of his response that was echoing back at them. Had his mother had the opportunity to help Lucas in the past and refused? Did she have any idea of what had been occurring in her son's life or tried to help him escape the abuse?

It was hard enough to comprehend that Lucas had been living under his father's abusive roof, but now to hear as well that there had been no mother figure or positive guidance during a large part of his childhood. That through the troubling years of his life, or at those times there hadn't been anybody who might have been able to offer help to him, was difficult to fathom or accept.

Indifference was the closest word that the three adults could think of to describe the expression on the teenager's face when talking about his mother. Quite different to how he reacted to his father.

Looking down at the form again, there was something about the way his mother's name had been written down, that triggered Kristin's memory. She walked a short distance from where she was sitting, her eyes immediately spotting what she had remembered. Retrieving the small white prescription bottle that she had confiscated from the teenager's cabin.

Lucas realised that the doctor had made the connection between his mother and the name printed on the label.

Bridger and Ben were watching the exchange between them with interest.

“Holt is the last name of the person who this medication was prescribed to,” Kristin pointed out. She was trying to be as sensitive as she could.

“You have already guessed that the name on the bottle is hers. The C. stands for Cynthia,” Lucas told her. “She didn't always use my father's surname, in relation to many legal or financial matters that concerned her. I guess that also included doctor's appointments and consultations.”

This time it was Kristin whose expression changed to one of surprise at the teenager's admission of his mother's first name. And it was at this point for the first time since she had come aboard SeaQuest that she felt the need to reveal some information about her own family.

“Then we share something in common with each other,” Kristin said with a brief smile. “Cynthia was also my daughter's name.”

Lucas started to give a small smile in return at such a startling connection, but that quickly changed as he picked up on the _'was'_ in her reply.

“You have a daughter named Cynthia too?” he asked, hoping that he had heard wrong. But he could see the first signs of sadness in her eyes. He swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat, but wanted to allow her the chance to explain in her own time.

Kristin sat a little closer to Lucas, keeping her focus just on him, but knowing that the two men would be able to hear what she was saying.

“My husband Nelson and I were happily married once. We had one daughter together, Cynthia,” she began. “After a while, our relationship became strained due to his vocation that kept him working away in foreign countries for long periods of time. And I found myself working at a number of hospitals and working ridiculous hours as well. We decided the best path for both of us was to divorce and give each other space to continue our chosen careers.”

“That was just before Cynthia turned twenty, and with her father absent for a good part of her teenage years, she grew up resenting what she saw as my _restrictions_ on her. They included things like what time she was going to be home, and meal times, her education and wanting to know who her friends were, making sure that she was taking good care of herself.”

A small, tight grin appeared on Lucas' face as he recognised a couple of those same things were what she had been worried over him about and tried to address.

“Do you know what she did during times that could only be described as _'reinforcing her individualistic ways'_?” she asked, sharing a little bit of her daughter's rebellious attitude. The tone of her voice had changed to one of being like other parents and less than impressed with their child's choices or decisions.

Lucas shook his head at her question.

“When she was seventeen, I came home from a particularly long day at the hospital to find that she had shaved off half of her hair on one side of her head. And dyed the other half bright orange.”

Bridger had let out a blurt of laughter, immediately showing remorse, but could see that Ben was chuckling as well. Both of them were trying to picture what Kristin's face would have looked like when the doctor first saw her daughter's new look. Lucas had smiled a little more, but didn't laugh out loud.

“To this day, I am convinced that she only did it to irritate me instead of the noble protest against whatever cause that she was sprouting the reason was,” she added, which had Nathan and Ben letting go a few more guffaws of more laughter.

Kristin saw their laughter, and knew that it must have sounded funny. She wasn't angry any more like she had been on that particular day, and didn't hold it against them that they found the whole scenario hilarious. If it hadn't been her own daughter, and she was hearing about such antics from someone, perhaps she would have been laughing along with them.

Turning back to the teenager, she said something that continued to bring out some powerful emotions in herself once more.

“I can see that need for self reliance that you have been displaying recently, and the same strong independent streak in you, that my Cynthia had, Lucas,” she commented.

“I swear to you, right now,” Lucas began to say, “That I have no intentions of shaving off or dyeing my hair any colour,” he responded with his best straight-faced expression.

Kristin let go a sudden burst of laughter for his well placed attempt at humour as she explained some difficult and unusual times during her life.

The next statement from Lucas gave Ben, the Captain and the doctor another small window of insight into a time in his life and saw him letting his guard down for a split second.

“My father objected to the length of my hair on many occasions, and usually threatened to cut it short. Keeping it untamed and wearing it longer like it is now was one of my only _'rebellious'_ acts against him.

Kristin nodded her head in acknowledgement, knowing such a stance must have been difficult to maintain when there had been few occasions to do so. She wished all of his struggles could have been as simple as objecting to anything happening to his hair.

“From the age of twenty-one through to twenty-five, my daughter was still searching for what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. Whilst living with me she had been working as a volunteer at an animal shelter. She was passionate about helping animals, conserving the environment and leaving the smallest footprint that we could on this planet.”

“Before she turned twenty-six, the opportunity of a life-time was offered to her. I have a friend who had been working in hospitals alongside of me, but wanted to give back more to the poorer populations of the world. The third-world countries and their people who had nothing. She moved to a remote part of Africa to create a wildlife reserve, and asked Cynthia if she wanted to join her to do some important humanitarian work.”

“Wow, what a great job opportunity,” Lucas remarked.

Kristin's daughter's ideas about caring for the environment and looking after animals seem to follow in some of her mother's footsteps. The Captain had chosen the environmental and conservation route too through some parts of his life, and it was probably why the two of them connected on quite a few matters.

Now it was time for Kristin's own mood to turn a little more somber and downcast, and she could no longer hold back the silent tears that were brimming in her eyes. Lucas felt an invisible hand reach into his chest, grab his heart and squeeze. He couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible had happened.

“On the day she was due to leave on her big adventure, we had an argument that morning. Over something trivial like whose turn it was to cook dinner that night,” she began to explain, with a lot of guilt she was still holding onto. “Cynthia refused to buy a car to drive from where we lived at the time, but instead rode a bicycle to her work at the animal shelter.”

Kristin was about to go into more detail about her daughter, but found that memories had robbed her of the desire to use too many words, so she kept the tale brief, “From the report I received from the police later that same day, she had been travelling on a dirt-road, approximately a kilometre from her work place. A vehicle travelling from a side-road ever saw her or the bicycle. Crossed onto the wrong side of the intersection and didn't even stop. She was struck and killed instantly. The driver has never been identified or held accountable.”

The red-headed doctor cried softly at the memory of her daughter, and how neither of them had been able to mend things after their heated words or say how much they loved each other or even say goodbye.

Neither Nathan or Ben could scarcely think of a single thing to say that would sound right after hearing about such a harrowing accident that took a young life. Both of them felt privileged in being allowed to know such a deeply sad and personal tragedy in Kristin's life.

“I am so sorry, Kristin,” Lucas said sadly, not knowing what else to say, but putting a hand on her arm in sympathy. “Thank you for telling us,” he added, his own voice thick with emotion. The Captain and Kristin had both lost children; a son and a daughter, both of them who could have gone onto lead promising lives. Instead they only left behind heartbroken families, who probably felt like a piece of themselves was missing forever.

* * *

Bringing her attention back to what had started telling about her Cynthia, Kristin held the prescription bottle out for Lucas to see.

“Up until now you have been reluctant to tell me or anyone else how bad your pain was at times. I hope that a little more common ground can start to emerge between us,” she suggested. “Come and see me when your discomfort reaches a level you feel you would need to turn and look to use something this strong. I am here to help you, not hinder. In the meantime, I will keep them safe and refrigerated for you.”

“Thank you,” Lucas said, feeling a mix of emotions. Guilt at having not told her about how bad his pain had been at times. Still a little perturbed at her having found them in his cabin and taken them away. And a little frustration that she didn't get that sometimes resorting to such methods in the past had been the only way of coping. And that is what he found himself voicing to her now.

“Those bottles are still sealed, I didn't take any of them as you can see,” Lucas began, wanting all of them to hear his point of view. “She had others that I used over the years when I had to. Sometimes there was no other way or options, and it was the only way to get through the day. I needed them. My mother left them at home years ago when she left.”

“Your mother left?” Bridger asked before Kristin could form the same question.

“Yeah, she was the lucky and fortunate one and managed to escape out of that place, after filing for divorce from my father,” Lucas admitted, failing to keep eye contact with the Captain as he spoke.

“How old were you when she left?” Ben queried, feeling very out of depth with everything that had come up so far about his bleak past.

“Just before I turned nine years old,” Lucas answered.

Kristin wanted to know something else, and didn't know how to phrase it. “How long has it been since you last saw your mother, Lucas?” She hoped that it had not been the entire five years from him being nine back then, to fourteen now.

“That is a little more complicated,” Lucas began to explain. “About two years ago, I lived with her for about two weeks, not long before I was accepted to start college at Stanford. My mother decided that she was leaving the country again to get away from my father's harassment, so that new arrangement didn't last very long. Less than a month later, I was forced to live back with him after she left.

' _Because there wasn't any other options_ _or choices'_ he wanted to add, but chose not to, keeping the bitterness to himself.

The two weeks gap that existed from when he had been living with his mother temporarily, to being under his father's control, was a very painful experience that the teenager was not about to reveal or relive here today. There was a couple of people that knew where he was during that time, and he wasn't ready to share that information with anybody.

That couple of weeks came with the promise of being one of those times that Lucas thought the tide of his life might be changing for the better. Boy had he been mistaken about that, because it hadn't taken long for harsh reality and cruelness to set in about how far Lawrence Wolenczak's reach really was. And to what extent he was prepared to to go and the methods he employed and thought nothing about risking and using to achieve that control.

His father had demonstrated that he was more than capable of stepping on other people, and cause them trouble, if they even dared to contemplate putting themselves in a position to help his son. And Lawrence had ensured that they were soon corrected in no uncertain terms against making any offers of assistance, asylum or sanctuary. In the end, Lucas was the one who had paid a hefty and painful price for any of their attempts. He never wanted that to happen again to a third-party, no matter who it was.

Kristin was dismayed to hear that the teenager's mother, from his account, had all but abandoned him just to escape herself and no-one had thought to check on Lucas afterwards and keeps tabs on what his father was doing. If it was true that she did get out, why didn't she take Lucas with her to protect him? Even if she was leaving the country.

The doctor understood that his mother may have been living in fear as well, and experiencing physical and other kinds of abuse herself at the hands of her husband. Her ultimate decision to leave her own child behind in that environment, didn't sit very well with Kristin at all as a valid excuse.

Ben Krieg was silently doing some number crunching in his head, using the information that Lucas had been telling them, and came to a startling premise, “Two years ago?” he questioned. “That means you were twelve years old when you started college?” he added, thinking how young that sounded.

“Yes,” Lucas answered a little uncomfortably, not knowing what else to say.

“I didn't mean it to sound like a bad thing, Lucas,” Ben responded. “Honest. Just goes to show how smart you are compared to the rest of us.”

“Do you remember what you were doing at twelve years old, Sir?” Ben addressed the Captain. “I am not sure about you, but at twelve, the only thing I was going was riding around on my bike with friends and playing baseball. School for me was mostly filled with getting into mischief from the teachers that usually resulted in detention, and trying to impress girls.”

“Now those last parts, I can certainly believe,” Kristin teased Ben good-naturedly. She wasn't quite so studious at twelve years old either, even though she would later go on to complete a medical degree. Ben sounded like he had a fairly rounded and normal upbringing, even with reporting of his father being in the military.

Until this very moment, none of them had been aware of how young Lucas had been when attending college. Twelve sounded far too young for anybody to be living away anywhere, without any kind of positive support and with a father living at home and inflicting his own resume of discipline and control. Yet another example of them scarcely able to comprehend how different things had been for Lucas over such a long period of time.

“Do you know of any other immediate family members or next-of-kin that could be written down in addition to your parents? Kristin asked. “And how they might be able to be contacted if that became necessary to do so.”

“Not that I know of,” Lucas answered. “There are aunts and uncles on both sides, but I haven't had contact with any of them in years. Before my mother left.”

“Grandparents?” Kristin asked with a little hope in her voice, but that idea was quickly quashed as well.

“I don't remember meeting any of them, or spending time with anybody called grandma or grandpa,” Lucas replied truthfully, but with shame creeping up at having to admit how hisisolation from anyone except his father had been allowed to manifest.

He hated having to reveal that his notion of any kind of extended family was very different. “I don't even know what their names are and they were never mentioned. I have never seen any pictures of them if there are any in the first place.”

* * *

“Can we _please_ leave it as is for now, and move onto the next questions and get this finished?” Lucas pleaded, knowing that it probably sounded like he was whining. He wanted this inquisition and point by point dissection about his life and everything about it to be over and done with.

It worked though, as Kristin could see that he wanted to leave, but felt obligated enough to stay.

They had been here quite a bit longer than had been allotted already, but the exercise certainly had it merits, with more than a few clues and details about him being revealed on paper or given in explanation. Some noteworthy, others stirring up emotions on his behalf and some they accepted as being out of his control but invoking a fair amount of unspoken criticism about his so-called family.

“Let's do that,” Kristin agreed.

To Krieg, it felt like the first time he needed to complete the paperwork to join as a submariner. Even the powers-that-be wanted to know everything from your shirt size, to what you had for lunch on Tuesday, five years ago. The forms wanted to know digest everything about your personality, and the colour of your socks and underwear, and which side of the bed you got out of.

“I am sure Commander Ford must be wondering where I am by now,” Ben put out there, hoping to cut short this session and get back his normal duties.

“No he is not,” Bridger said in mock sternness, “If we have to be here longer, so do you, Lieutenant,” adding his rank for emphasis, and seeing Lucas smirk at the Captain's quick rebuttal.

Kristin moved her eyes further down on the page of the form, “The next sections go into further detail about your personal medical history.”

“Oh joy!” Lucas declared with frustration, “Just what I wanted other people to know about too.”

The doctor ignored his jibe when she saw his answer to a question that both puzzled and struck a little worry into her at the same time. “With the question about your blood type, you wrote _'rare'_ _.”_

“Do you know what your actual blood type is?” she pressed.

Lucas looked over at Ben's partially completed form and saw that he had recorded the correct terminology. He couldn't see Bridger's, but wasn't really interested in what either of them had written down.

“No,” he answered honestly.

“Then how do you know it is rare?” Kristin immediately followed with.

The doctor was concerned from a medical point of view about what that could mean for the teenager living aboard SeaQuest. “There are a few blood types that are considered less common in the general population. If you are correct, then we need to find out as soon as possible.” There could be other crew members aboard in a similar situation, and it part of the reason she liked to keep her own medical files.

Lucas looked over uncomfortably at Bridger as he answered, “Remember me telling you about the first time that I ripped out my I.V. when I was in hospital?”

Bridger nodded. Ben and Kristin had heard him tell the Captain that in his cabin.

“Well, I think a couple of the reasons that the nurse was not happy about it included having to redo it and having to clean up afterwards. Then she mentioned something to one of the other nurses about my blood type being rare. I never heard her say what it was, and I didn't get to ask. That is the only way I found out. That was sometime after my ninth birthday.”

“That blood sample that I talked about, needs to happen today then, no arguments to the contrary,” Kristin informed him, wanting to take any precautions that might be necessary.

“Do you know if there are any medical files that I could access since you remember there being at least one hospital stay?” Kristin queried. “That would also help me find out more about your current immunisation status, which you have left blank.”

Lucas shook his head, seeing the concern she had about his answers. “What I told you back in med-bay the last time still applies, that my father would never give permission for any file on me to be released to anybody. I recall being in hospital twice, that time and one other. I don't know which particular hospital it would have been or even if it was the same one both times.”

“Didn't your father ever take you to a doctor for a regular check-up, or have you treated when you were sick with normal childhood illnesses like a cold or the flu?” Kristin asked, internally growing angry that the hospital visits were probably due to something that his father had inflicted upon him.

“Ha, not likely!” Lucas scoffed with a hollow laugh. “That would require him to shed money out on me or do something that meant he gave a damn. That is never going to happen. And antibiotics or medications would have cost him money too, so not much chance of that either.”

Bridger could only look on with dismay at the teenager's angry response, but by also listening to the context of the words, he picked up that the teenager still believed the situation he described to be still current.

“To satisfy your curiosity though, Kristin, there was a couple of specific occasions where my father used the services of a private doctor that I can vaguely remember. There may have been files started or kept on me that would tell you what they diagnosed. I have no idea where they would be, and I can only assume that they would be sealed or kept somewhere secure and out of sight by him now.”

“They were times when I was quite sick and probably should have been admitted to a hospital. The only reason I recall them is that I awoke to have some strange doctor poking and prodding me. They were different each time, so I never saw the same person twice, and they were foreign, so I didn't always understand what they were talking about. Anything that they did to me or gave to me when they were brought to the house is a total mystery.”

“How convenient for him,” Kristin said, unable to hide her own moment of unbridled contempt. It wasn't directed at Lucas. By using private doctors, and home visits, this is how Lawrence Wolenczak had been able to cover-up some of his acts of abuse and keep it hidden away for so long. This is how he had been allowed to circumvent the system that could have alerted someone a lot sooner that something was amiss and needed an investigation.

“Would you be willing to provide me with permission to talk privately with the hospital Registrar's? They would have access and custody of any records should there be any files on you at any hospital within the state. And being a doctor, they would release them to me upon official request.”

“I can do that,” Lucas said with some apprehension. He didn't know what was out there, and would be lying if he didn't admit to feeling a little nervous about what unknown information Kristin may stumble across about himself.

“Everything will be kept confidential,” Kristin promised, reiterating her earlier assurances. “And I will share with you anything I do find, and explain any notes made if you wish to know.”

* * *

These new pieces of information spurred Kristin on to keep going down the list of questions. Ben and the Captain had stopped writing their own forms, instead being drawn by the questions that the doctor was asking and the answers that Lucas was giving.

“Commander Hitchcock told us that she arranged your flights to travel from your home to the pier to meet the launch?” Kristin said, looking for confirmation from Lucas.

“Yes, I had to fly to go between them. The flight times vary, but are between five and a half or six hours, depending on turbulence and weather factors,” the teenager said, not catching on why she had asked all of a sudden about his method of transport.

“Under the section asking whether you experience motion sickness, you have ticked _'yes'_ and added that you are affected by planes and boats when you travel,” Kristin commented, hoping for more precise details of what symptoms it caused him.

“Thankfully once I am here on-board SeaQuest, I have not had a problem and my stomach has been behaving itself for the most part. And the same goes for when I was arriving or departing on the sea launches each time,” Lucas replied. “But whenever I travel on a plane, it happens every single time. I pray that I won't need to fly again in the near future if I can avoid it because it gets quite bad and it feels like my insides are trying to punch their way out.”

Ben made a mental note to himself of keeping a check on the kid the next time they travelled in a launch anywhere. The tell-tale signs should be easy enough to spot, especially if Lucas was reluctant to speak up and tell someone.

“If you have to fly again by plane at any time, come and see me,” Kristin said in sympathy. Motion sickness wasn't pleasant for anybody, and there should have been no reason for Lucas to have to suffer through bouts of it. It was something that was perfectly preventable if known ahead of time, or could be successfully managed.

“There are a lot of remedies that I can recommend to use that won't upset your stomach and they will take away that awful nauseous feeling that you are often left with,” Kristin offered with a smile.

“That would be great for when I need it again,” Lucas said with genuine gratitude.

“I tend to suffer from a little motion sickness myself, but mainly on long bus drives,” Kristin admitted, trying to put the boy's mind at ease.

“You do?” Lucas asked.

“And size of the bus doesn't matter, big or small,” she shared with him.

Bridger was silently promising that the teenager wouldn't be needing to leave SeaQuest any time soon to fly home or anywhere, if he and Bill Noyce could work together enough.

“Under allergies you have written two things,” Kristin noted. “Avocados?”

Ben Krieg gave a sharp gasp of shock at that detail. “Allergic to avocados?”

“It's not like I have a choice, Krieg. They don't like me,” Lucas said.

“But you live in California,” he said, horrified by what he had just learned and shorting the name of a personal favourite food, guacamole.

The disappointment on Lucas' behalf at missing out on such a delicious condiment in its addition to a lot of foods was clear, “So no guac..... ?”

“No,” Lucas replied.

“Man, that means I have to change all my plans for Mexican themed parties nights aboard SeaQuest and everything,” he huffed at the unfairness of it all. “Are you doubly sure? Because you could be mistaken about what you wrote down.”

“Leave him alone, Ben,” Kristin scolded lightly, seeing that he was trying to add some humour again. “What effect do they have on you? Is it eating the flesh, or even touching the oil in the skin that causes an adverse reaction?”

“Eating them,” Lucas said firmly. “They make me throw up after consuming any recipe with them in it. Not a pleasant experience, believe me.” He had not thought about needing to let anybody know about his food allergies.

“That would be something that Head Chef Don, needs to know about, Lucas,” Bridger remarked.

“Hey, you should all know by now, I don't come with an instruction manual,” Lucas joked.

* * *

“The other allergy you wrote down could be just as serious; _bee stings?_

“I need for you to tell me a few more details if you can please,” Kristin requested. “Some people have different levels of reaction to insect stings, most ending in only mild irritation and a raised area and reddening of the skin.”

The three of them had noted the sudden change in demeanour in the teenager at seeing him write down his home address, and his parents names. But those instances seemed to pale in comparison to the dramatic reaction that those two words caused.

“I thought you needed to know,” Lucas said, his voice barely above a whisper, as he fought within himself. “I wasn't even going to write it down.”

Kristin could see that he was holding back information, and could only hope that something may be noted about the extent of his allergy on a medical file, should she manage to find one. But of course, there was no guarantee of that.

Lucas stood up, grimacing at the pull of stitches and his bruising protesting loudly at the abrupt movement, “Sorry, but I have to go,” he mumbled, unable to hide that his hands were trembling badly at the very memory of that time in his life.

These people in the room didn't know how bad that particular incident was, and it still shook him to the core to think about the circumstances that lead up to that particular hospital stay. The only reason he knew how serious his condition had become, was by overhearing a doctor talking to one of the nurses when they thought he was still unconscious.

Kristin knew that something was very wrong, but trying to stop him right now would only result in pushing him closer to the edge. She didn't want to do that so soon after learning about the abuse. On the face of it, gauging by his reaction now, it may be an event that he would never be ready to tell them what had happened.

Kristin put a hand on his arm, trying to see if she could get him to calm down and talk to her, even about something else that wasn't remotely related to filling out forms.

The emotions had begun to swell and become overwhelming, and no matter how hard he tried to suppress them right now, he couldn't. Lucas looked at her, and could see the concern on her face for him, “Please don't ask me to tell you about it. Because I can't. Ever!”

“I promise I won't.” It was the only thing she could think to say after receiving such a heart-wrenching plea.

Bridger stood up and was prepared to back Kristin up, with his own concern multiplying about how upset the teenager had become in a such a short space of time. The Captain went one step further and put his a supportive hand on his shoulder. The trembling he could detect running across his shoulder blades was worse than what he and Ben had experienced that day in the corridor before he collapsed.

“Hey, hey, slow down and talk to me for a minute,” Bridger implored with a soothing tone. “None of us are not going to make you do anything you don't want to.” But his understanding words were not enough to persuade the teenager.

A quick glance from Nathan to Ben spoke a silent warning to be ready for anything. Krieg didn't grasp the reason for his friend's sudden change, but he could sense the worry pouring off the Captain and the doctor. Lucas himself was another story entirely.

“Sorry, I cannot be in here any longer,” he repeated in apology to the Captain, pulling away from them both. “Please don't make me stay.”

Unless they were going to physically restrain him, they had no choice but to leave him alone for awhile. He was on the verge of losing his composure, but none of them wanted to take such drastic actions unless it became absolutely necessary.

The three of them could only watch as he quickly grabbed his empty stash jar from a table behind him and walked out of med-bay as quickly as his hip would allow without running. They could hear the catch in his throat and see that he was on the verge of tears over whatever had triggered such a strong bolt of distress to course through him.

For Lucas, he felt that he had given enough of himself today, tomorrow and for weeks ahead. Maybe too much.

* * *

The three adults left in med-bay were trying to figure out between them what the next best move was after Lucas' sudden and emotional departure.

“What do you think we should do, Nathan?” Kristin asked, not masking her worry about him. “He is still determined to keep his independence, taking back his stash jar,” she added.

Bridger ran a hand through his hair as he tried to answer that very question in his own head, and worked out a solution. “Whatever it was, is something really bad.”

“How about I go and try to talk to him first,” Ben suggested. “Not about what just happened in here, I don't think that would be a very productive approach. But I have a few general bits of news to tell him about the mess hall that I haven't told him about yet. Whilst I am doing that, I can try and encourage him to come and help me for a bit.”

“That blood test still needs to be done as soon as possible,” Kristin commented, knowing it was a slightly lower priority than his psychological frame of mind at the moment. “We are not prepared for any emergency that involve needing a blood transfusion for Lucas or anybody else on board. Particularly for any crew members with a rare type.”

“I promise I will be sensitive and back off if he isn't ready to talk. But I will try to get him to come and help me and keep his mind off what is bothering him. If we allow him to be on his own too much, he will only brood over it, and try to hide behind it.”

“A launch is due to dock very soon to unload supplies,” Ben said, looking down at his watch and noting the time. “Once everything has been off-loaded, it is due to depart again to take Mr Cooper up-world and off SeaQuest.”

“I will make sure that I am nearby to supervise,” Krieg attested. “He won't have to do any heavy lifting that may cause problems with his stitches. He can sit in one place and mark the inventory off against the cheat-sheet I use. It will be in the launch bay area, so he will be able to see Darwin as soon as he chooses that he doesn't want to help any longer, or he shows signs of being in pain.”

“Lucas doesn't need any of that kind of antagonism today from the likes of him,” the Captain quickly retorted. He made a mental note to make sure he was in the immediate vicinity before the launch was due to leave.

“Tag, you it,” Nathan stated, grateful for Krieg's involvement. There was no guarantee that the teenager would be wanting to agree to doing anything judging by the way left.

“I guess we don't have much choice but to try something,” Bridger replied.

* * *

During his walk towards Lucas' small cabin, Krieg went over a few different ways of how he might approach the anxious teenager. Any request to help would only be possible if he was prepared to listen. The door could be locked, thwarting any attempt to gather his co-operation.

By the time he reached the door, Ben decided to stick to his normal game plan, and just come out plainly and be honest. That was probably what the kid wanted from anybody right now, not flowery words and empty gestures that everything was going to work out alright.

Krieg knocked politely on the door, and waited before testing the handle. He was mildly surprised to find it unlocked, but pleased that a small amount of lee-way had been given and that the teenager wasn't entirely too closed off just yet.

“Come in,” came the invitation to enter.

Lucas was sitting at his small computer table when Ben opened the door. All signs of being upset had been pushed aside, maybe a little too quickly for Krieg's liking. Only to be replaced by the expression of expectancy for someone to turn up, and suspicions held about their motives and intentions.

“If all you have come here to do is try and cheer me up, Ben, then don't bother,” Lucas warned. “I know the Captain and Kristin probably sent you in here. I am sorry that you got lumped with the job.”

He had been waiting for Krieg to bring up about his sudden departure and about everything Kristin wanted, not being completed. But he was thankful when it wasn't brought up immediately. He could dance around more about his answers or what he had missed later. He knew that the doctor was expecting to take blood from him at some point today.

“No, that isn't it at all. Actually I had a few things to tell you about that I missed at breakfast this morning,” Krieg said. He knew not to voice out loud that the teenager had already assumed partially correctly.

Ben proceeded to tell him about the launch arriving very soon, and ask if he was up to helping out with the new inventory.

“I don't want you hauling any of the boxes anywhere yet, or Kristin will have my hide in a sling. But I thought it might get you out of here for a while,” he enticed.

To be honest, Lucas didn't want to go anywhere, and the idea of getting a few more hours sleep had plagued him after leaving med-bay. Tiredness was quickly catching up with him today, and it would only be a matter of time before it showed more prominently.”

He didn't have the heart to turn down Ben though, and he was convinced that his friend was still there partly to check up on him. “Yes, alright I will follow you out. I am halfway through devising that software for you that I told would write.”

“Really? That would be great, but don't go to too much trouble,” Ben responded, but in the back of his mind he was asking a different question. ' _When did you have any time to do that lately?'_

“What were the other things you had to tell me?” Lucas asked in curiosity.

“Mostly about some changes to the mess hall, and they don't apply just to you,” Ben stressed, knowing that the teenager would assume that he had been singled out for special treatment, when that wasn't the case.

“Don got permission from the Captain and has stocked one of the fridges in the mess hall with sodas and fruit juices. In addition to the cold water bottle station that you already know about. There is also tea, coffee and hot chocolate facilities being arranged as well. They are for anybody any time of the day and don't require any money like the vending machines. The drinks and snacks in those are still available too, but will require a coin donation as normal.”

“Why the change in policy?” Lucas asked, not convinced that Bridger or the chef had a sudden change of heart.

“Some of the scientific staff in Kristin's department were kicking up a bit of a ruckus, saying that they were hard done by,” Krieg answered truthfully. “Once the military personnel heard about their complaints of having to spend their own personal funds for the vending machines, they added their voices of protest as well.”

“Don went to the Captain, and eventually agreed that there should be cold and hot drinks available throughout the day outside of regular meal times. Some of that stock should be arriving on that launch I just spoke to you about.”

“There will probably be a few changes yet, once Bridger has time to sit down and sift through all the requests. Some he will out-right nix straight away and throw out as frivolous expenditure or impractical wish-lists,” Krieg stated. “But anything that benefits the crew as a whole I think he will be willing to implement as best he can. They come under the banner of maintaining the morale of the crew, keeping the peace by, in addition to feeding and watering them properly to attend to their duties.”

“Anything else you needed to tell me?” Lucas said, thinking that Krieg had explained himself well enough, but reserving judgment and retaining a healthy amount of skepticism.

“Not tell so much this time, as ask,” Krieg began. “I saw you take your stash jar back from Kristin. As Supply Officer, it is my job to oversee everything ordered in. I just wanted some clues as to what you like to put in them, so I can help you stock up.”

“No, thank you,” Lucas said firmly.

“No?” Krieg said in confusion. That wasn't the answer he had been looking for.

“No, as in, I don't want you to order in anything for me. I usually keep a variety in them, something different in each jar. Nuts, dried fruit, sultanas, that kind of thing,” Lucas explained. “Stuff that doesn't need refrigeration and can be stored for long amounts of time.”

“That will surprise Kristin, she was thinking that you were only keeping lollies and sugary treats in them. The unhealthy stuff and that was what you were living off,” Ben commented. The kid had given some good forethought into his choices.

“I don't have any money at the moment to fill them up yet, but I don't want you or the U.E.O. subsidising what is my responsibility,” the teenager replied.

“If I order anything in with the regular stores, you wouldn't be obligated to pay for it,” Krieg informed him.

It saddened him to hear the teenager holding onto a reason like having no money, as the basis of refusing to accept help. His parents had never been rich by any standards, but he had not grown up experiencing not having it either. There were other uncomplicated options being put in front of Lucas, but his stubborn streak of remaining independent and relying on himself too much, was shining through.

“And that is where the problem lies for me,” Lucas countered back. “I have found a way in the past to manage and get by without money. I have managed on my own before, until funds became available. And I intend to do that here as well.”

The teenager was determined that he wasn't going to ask for money from anybody on-board or expect free-hand outs. He had existed perfectly fine without it the past, and that was what he was going to do now.

“Come on, let's get this stock unloaded, then maybe I can try out some of those noodles you ordered in for me,” Lucas urged, not wanting to argue with Ben over his stashes.

Krieg could see that he had lost that battle for now, and wouldn't be able to proceed at the moment by ordering anything without Lucas asking first. He didn't want to do that behind his back, and put their emerging friendship in jeopardy with mistrust.

“You are just saying that to try and avoid giving a donation to the doctor's blood-bank,” Krieg theorised. “Not to say that I blame you, because no doubt she has the same unfair plans for me,” he grouched.

The two of them left Lucas' small cabin, heading towards the launch bay. The over-head speakers gave the announcement that the launch had arrived as scheduled.

* * *

Ben had left Lucas in the launch bay area briefly, heading to get his own clip-board and the printed inventory list that he needed. He made a brief stop by the mess hall and grabbed a drink for both himself and the teenager.

Kristin had remained in the science labs, indicating that she had plenty to keep herself occupied for a number of hours. She asked them merely to keep her appraised of how he was coping, wanting to allow him some time away from her questions.

Captain Bridger had been standing in the launch bay area himself, talking to Commander Ford, and holding onto what looked like blue-prints for the vessel. Lucas didn't hear what they were saying, could see Bridger stop briefly and notice his presence.

Krieg arrived back, handing over the soda as the two of them started looking at the list together. “You will need to count the boxes, and then mark them here accordingly,” he instructed.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the Captain and Ford, and Bridger's unspoken appreciation of being able to persuade the teenager to be doing something to occupy his time. For the next half an hour, assigned crew members unloaded the boxes and stacked them along the wall out of the way so they could be to be counted.

Bridger kept his attention on his own task at hand as much as possible, forcing himself to give the teenager some breathing space. Ben was doing well enough without his input. But the teenager's calm exterior quickly changed as they all heard Chief Crocker's voice approaching the area.

He was currently escorting Robert Cooper to the launch before its impending departure. Manilow's instructions were formidable, and authoritative, not giving the man the option to speak unless he was asked a direct question. Crocker had not known that the teenager was going to be in the launch bay area today.

Lucas looked up, his less-than-impressed expression at recognising his antagonist plain to see. Tim O'Neill was following Crocker, being the operator of the launch today.

Cooper showed a moment of surprise himself at seeing the teenager in the vicinity. Of course Krieg was standing close, and he grinned widely again as he spotted the Captain on the other side of the room too. With the fat-tub of lard, and Commander Ford in the immediate area as well. All of them ready to pounce on him if he even looked sideways at the kid.

“Keep moving,” Crocker ordered the man gruffly.

The sanctioned crew member and now prisoner threw caution to the wind as a last act of defiance before being forced to board the sea-craft. He shared one final look between himself and Lucas, unable to wipe the smug look off his face.

 _'Snowflake'_ he mouthed silently, and saw that the teenager understood the taunt.

To his credit, Lucas remained very still, his own intense gaze never leaving the man's face. He wasn't about to be deterred by any slur directed at him, nor intending to show any sign of backing down. The mutual dislike between them was obvious to all.

Lucas turned around as the Captain's speak beside him, not having noted the man close the distance between them until now. “I doubt you will have to worry about seeing him again.”

Lucas nodded his head at Bridger's statement, but a feeling in pit of his stomach said otherwise and he wasn't quite so sure about that.

Something in the back of his mind told him Cooper would be back, but he couldn't figure out why he felt that way. He didn't voice that opinion out loud, because it would only make the Captain and Ben more watchful over him than they already were. And he didn't want that.

* * *

A splash from a tail from the moon pool caught Lucas' attention once the launch bay doors were closed. He handed the clip-board to Krieg without an explanation, and made his way over to the dolphin. A genuine smile appeared on his face and Ben could see that he had just lost his helper for the foreseeable future.

Commander Ford had finished his discussions with the Captain as well, and Krieg watched with interest as Bridger made his way quietly over to where Darwin and Lucas were together. The teenager had taken up sitting on the stool near the pool and had taken possession of the vocorder from its bracket.

Bridger was standing behind the teenager, talking softly to him. Ben saw the man put a hand on the teenager's uninjured shoulder, but there was no immediate withdrawal.

“Are you going to finally show me how it works?” came the quiet question from Nathan, showing genuine interest in something that the boy was very passionate about.

Lucas looked over at the Captain, pausing for a moment, before offering a small smile of agreement. “Yes, but I will go slow for you because it is complicated,” he added with a small laugh. Bridger taking the jibe good-naturedly.

Bridger was perhaps the only one that he was willing to share the technology with at the moment. Ben watched from a distance and observed that the teenager's reactions with the Captain were a little different. Lucas was slightly more relaxed in his presence when it was just the two of them together.

It wasn't clear if Lucas even felt it there, and the Captain may not have been paying attention that he was doing it either. To Krieg, though, it was quiet a powerful moment of positive acceptance between the two of them. He doubted that the teenager would have allowed anybody else to be so close and within his personal space.

* * *

The interaction between Lucas and Bridger continued for approximately the next forty minutes, before Darwin singled that he was finished with work, and swam out of the pool to feed outside of the vessel.

Lucas got up and replaced the vocorder back in its rightful spot. He and the Captain spoke together for a moment, before the teenager left the area, headed down the corridor in the opposite direction.

Bridger came over to Ben, seeing that he had taken over accounting for the stock. “Lucas seems a lot better now, than he was earlier,” Krieg commented, as he stopped writing.

“You must have been quite eloquent when he first left med-bay to persuade him to come here in the first place,” the Captain commented with gratitude.

“Not really, Sir,” Krieg answered. “I made a judgment call that he would be looking to keep his mind occupied. Although I told you earlier about Cooper leaving on the launch, I would have preferred it if Lucas wasn't elsewhere for that.”

“I don't know what that guy's problem is with Lucas, but I am glad that he is finally off SeaQuest,” Bridger remarked. “We won't have to worry about him.”

“Do you mind if I say something off the record, Sir?” Krieg asked, not sure how the man would react. “It is not about Cooper or anything that went on in med-bay today.”

“Fire away, I don't mind you being honest at any time,” Nathan answered, but intrigued at the Lieutenant's change in direction of conversation.

“I just wanted to let you on how much more relaxed Lucas is in your company, Sir, than anybody else on-board. He has a different stance about himself when he is around you. Even to me or Doctor Westphalen.”

“Really?” Bridger faltered, thinking that he hadn't been doing quite enough to gain the boy's trust. “This morning certainly didn't indicate that he was very relaxed at all.”

“I think that was a little different, Sir,” Krieg pointed out. “And we don't even know what the cause was there yet.”

“Go on,” Nathan prompted, seeing that Ben wanted to say more.

“I have been standing here watching the both of you for well over half-an-hour,” he started to explain. “That kid uses masks to his advantage, and he is good at keeping them in place sometimes. He says one thing when talking, but his face says another. But behaviour never lies.”

“The happiest I see him is when he is with Darwin and working on his vocorder program. And just now, explaining it to you, he was willing to do so as soon as you asked. I don't think he would be quite prepared to do the same with me or anybody else.”

“He appreciates that you are willing to spend time with him, and take an interest in what he likes,” Ben continued. “I don't think that Lucas has ever had anybody pay attention to him on that kind of level before. He doesn't want to get to close to anybody, or allow anybody to do the same towards him. At any other time, he is drawing away when anybody else is offering too much friendship.”

“That is interesting,” Bridger replied, taking in what Ben was saying, hoping that his efforts were having that kind of effect. The comments about anybody paying attention to him before were probably not far from the truth, going from what little they already knew.

“Lucas is starving to be shown any kind of affection, and has been pushing everybody away when it is given, because it is too unfamiliar to him. Denying the battle, and then retreating when his emotions inside get too strong,” Ben commented. “There were positive signs that you were starting to break through that barrier a little today. You are slowly getting through to him, Sir.”

“I am due on the Bridge in a few moments to relieve Jonathan,” Nathan said, putting a temporary stay on any further discussion between them. “Let's pick this back up at another time. I appreciate you taking the time to tell me.”

“No problem, Sir,” Krieg returned, looking down at this watch, “My shift there is about to start shortly too.” He could see that the man was a little uncertain about the praise he had just given, but he didn't regret it. He had been truthful about what he had noted, and definitely hoped that trust could continue to be established.

* * *

When he commenced his shift on the Bridge, Nathan informed Jonathan Ford about the departure of the launch, with Cooper on-board as part of his removal. Chief Crocker would be with Tim O'Neill as he piloted the smaller craft until the man had been delivered to the main-land. Then both would return to SeaQuest.

The Captain discreetly kept the small network of people watching out for Lucas informed about completing the medical history required. Those present had groaned out loud themselves at the thought of having to do the same. Nobody was particularly looking forward to Doctor Westphalen's probing and tests.

Bridger intended to maintain Lucas' privacy and wouldn't give away any specific details. He did make a mental note to speak to the teenager at some point, as he may have to tell a few crew members about his food allergy. He did tell them that Lucas had left the area prematurely, but that they were still in the dark over the cause of his panicked reaction.

Nathan was about to warn them that Lucas may be looking for some space for the rest of the day, but just as he said that, the teenager walked onto the Bridge. In his hand he was carrying a biodegradable container of noodles that were still hot after being heated in the galley microwave.

Having food or beverages on the Bridge certainly wasn't protocol and he could see the slight frown forming on Jonathan's face in unspoken objection. At least he was intending to eat something, Bridger thought to himself and the boy wasn't consuming them here. The lid was closed and he was probably going to take them back to his cabin. Having them in a portable manner like that would no doubt appeal more to Lucas, rather than having to stick to eating in the mess hall.

Upon entering, Lucas walked over to Commander Ford first, and started talking to him quietly.

“I thought I would come and see if you quickly for a few minutes and ask if you still wanted my help working on those door locks,” he broached with the dark-skinned man. “I am going to have a late lunch now, but could start afresh tomorrow if you like?”

“If you are willing to help out, Lucas, then by all means, that would be great,” he answered. He was very open to the idea and grateful for the offer of assistance if the youth thought he could handle it.

Ford wanted to check that working on the door-locks wouldn't cause him discomfort or pain due to his injuries that he had, but erred on the side of caution about bringing up such a topic in front of everyone.

“Come and see me when you are ready first thing tomorrow, and I will arrange with Katie Hitchcock to make the tablet available that I mentioned to you. She will want to record any changes in the maintenance log for future reference,” Ford explained.

“Sure,” Lucas said, now turning to talk to the Captain before leaving again.

Bridger took a closer look at the boy's face and could see fatigue setting in. Like Jonathan, he thought it wise not to mention it for the moment, especially since he was intending to eat. A wrong comment could see him change his mind and forget all about the food.

“I wanted to come in here and organize that with the Commander before I head back to my cabin for a few hours,” Lucas told the Captain. “I have a few things I want to work on this afternoon.”

Nathan was hoping one of them would be sleep, but upon hearing the teenager's plans, he doubted that it was priority.

It was Ben Krieg who was about to become a little over zealous in his attempt to try and bolster the boy's confidence about his computer skills, and go about it completely the wrong way.

“Hey, Lucas, something is wrong with my computer screen here. I bet you could come and tell me what the problem is?” the Morale Officer announced.

Up until now, Ben had been a great help, but right now, he was trying much too hard, and it was obvious to all that it was becoming annoying.

Bridger saw the teenager roll his eyes at Ben's tactics, and could see that Lucas was less than impressed. He was about to call out Ben and tell him lay off, but upon second thought, chose to remain silent and see how the teenager handled it first.

Ford saw it too and stood back, knowing he had already made the mistake of talking about Lucas and his computer skills when he didn't realise that the boy could hear him. He had incurred the boy's razor sharp tongue and wondered what Krieg was about to receive.

By now, Lucas was over-tired, and noticably so to crew members standing nearby. He didn't want to be patronised in front of everybody on the Bridge, and decided to tell Ben off in his own unique way. He didn't want to hurt Krieg's feelings, or do anything rash, but sometimes a line had to be drawn in the sand.

“Sure, Krieg, I can tell you without even walking over there and looking at the screen what is wrong with it,” Lucas said, his voice sounding overly pleasant and accommodating.

“I knew you could!” Ben exclaimed too loudly. “Tell me what I need to do.”

“Grab a piece of paper, Krieg, and write this down word for word as I explain it. The coding may be a little complicated for some people,” Lucas said, almost having to bite the inside of his cheek to keep the sarcasm out of his response.

Krieg did exactly as the boy requested, taking a piece of paper, and positioning himself with pen in hand, “Lay it on me.”

 _I am just about to do that Ben_ Lucas thought to himself.

“Write down these letters and numbers in this specific order,” Lucas directed. “I .D. at the front.”

Ben copied down what he was hearing.

“The number ten following after that, but space it out a little,” Lucas instructed. “Followed by a capital letter T on the end.”

“Okay, what comes next,” he said, not having caught onto what Lucas was trying to say yet.

“Read it out loud all together, Krieg. And then when you are not sure, read it again,” Lucas repeated.

“Hey, wait a minute.....,” Krieg said, standing up, trying to get the kid to explain that he had written everything down correctly. Until he looked down at the piece of paper he was holding.

Ford and Bridger were close enough to read the line, and couldn't hold back their burst of laughter at Ben's expense.

“I .D. 1 0 T”

Another moment and the penny dropped, and Krieg to give a wry smile of his own. He had fallen right into his trap and been totally out-smarted by the teenager.

“I guess I deserved that,” Krieg said sheepishly to the Captain and Ford.

“Yeah, I think you did,” Bridger agreed, pleased to see that nobody's pride was hurt. Krieg might remember to tone down his attempts from now on.

Ben walked over to Lucas, giving a look of apology at being a total ass. Lucas accepted it and gave a small smirk of triumph in return.

* * *

Lucas was getting ready to walk off the Bridge, when Miguel Ortiz made an announcement to the Captain.

Ortiz had been taking over O'Neill's duties at his communication station in addition to his own for a few hours, while Tim was piloting the launch up-world. He didn't know about the Captain's earlier instructions about communications coming to him from Admiral Noyce.

“Captain, I have Admiral Noyce coming through to talk with you via video-link,” Ortiz stated.

The small group were all able hear the startled gasp of shock, and see the immediate colour change to the pallor of the skin on Lucas' face. He did leave the Bridge, but it wasn't at a walk. Major panic had set in, and the Captain and Ben were not quick enough to stop the teenager from escaping through the dome doors.

He was on edge again, perhaps not quite to the same level as he had been when leaving med-bay. But bad enough. It mirrored Lucas' abrupt departure from the Bridge during the Admiral's video-link about the new funding for the hyper-reality probe.

Krieg had followed the teenager, trying to catch up and intercept him to find out what was wrong. A minute or two ago, they had all been sharing a laugh.

“Miguel, tell the Admiral that I will contact his office in a few moments from my quarters,” Bridger instructed, knowing that it was clearly the video-link from Noyce that was bothering Lucas. He knew that Bill wasn't the teenager's favourite person, but he couldn't put his finger on why his mood had changed so drastically.

“Aye, Sir,” Miguel answered dutifully, but guilt sounding in his voice.

“It's wasn't anything you did, Mr Ortiz,” Bridger informed him, knowing where his train of thought was headed.

“Commander, you have the Bridge for a moments, I will return as quickly as I can,” as he headed out the dome doors himself, ready to find one wayward teenager.

* * *

Kristin had come near the small cabin, not knowing what had transpired on the Bridge. She wanted to ask if Lucas was prepared to give her a blood sample yet.

Upon seeing the Lieutenant knocking on the hatch door, and asking the occupant if he was alright, “Please open the door, buddy. I just want to talk to you.”

Ben turned and saw the doctor standing there, with her tools of torture in hand, “I don't think you are going to have much luck with that,” he told her.

“Has something else happened?” Kristin asked with concern.

“I managed to coerce him out earlier, but this time I am not so sure,” Ben answered with less than half of any kind of story after med-bay. “He was helping me in the launch bay area, and spent some quality time with the Captain and Darwin near the moon pool. It looked like he was enjoying what they were working on together. Honest.”

“And since then?” the doctor prompted, understanding that whatever the problem was, had occurred very recently.

“Lucas was on the Bridge only a few minutes ago talking to Commander Ford about doing some of the computer work he had promised. He had food in his hand too, which was a win today without having to be badgered about it. He even told me off when I over-stepped the boundary. From all angles he appeared fine, maybe a little tired, but that was fixable. Now we are back to this.” he remarked, knocking again.

“Has he locked himself in again?” Nathan asked as he approached both of them in the empty corridor. Then realising how stupid that sounded. He had seen Ben knocking on the door, and heard the last comments of the conversation with Kristin.

“Yes, Sir, but no luck of getting him to answer yet,” Krieg answered. “Now he simply refuses open the door. I can hear him moving around in there. He has decided to ignore us.”

“Miguel took a communication from Bill, and announced it on the Bridge like he is supposed to,” Bridger told Kristin. “That is what made Lucas run out of there this time.”

“Do you have any idea why?” Kristin queried.

Nathan shook his head negatively at her. “I don't think cutting the power or bombarding him, or pounding on his door is the option for getting him to willingly come out this time around.”

“You don't,” Kristin and Ben both said at the exact same time in unison.

“No I don't. His emotions are up and down like a roller-coaster today,” Bridger began. “Earlier this morning he appeared to be a little better when having breakfast, only to be set off in a panic in med-bay as you both saw.”

“Then he was with you, Ben, and seemed in a better frame of mind again. The time he and I spent together with Darwin, you told me he looked more relaxed. And now he is back to panicking again and locking the door to keep everybody out.”

“Let's give him some space and see if he is willing to unlock it afterwards and talk to one of us, one on one,” the Captain suggested.

Ben and Kristin were both about to voice their objections to let things drop for a moment, until they heard Nathan's next assessment of the teenager's mood.

“I know this probably isn't what either of you want to hear, but we have to let him dictate the time frame of when he is ready to talk.

He remembered back to how tightly Lucas had been gripping his hand, and finally understanding what the boy was seeking, more than anything else. “I am not saying to walk away this afternoon and do nothing. I don't want to that even now,” Bridger stated. “But we need to give him the chance to feel what he is craving: safety.”

“You know that statement that was made recently about Lucas feeling like he was being backed into a corner?”

Bridger saw them both nod their heads in agreement, and Ben in particular. It had been him who had made a similar comment to the rest of the crew, just before they started searching for the teenager's secret hiding place.

“Well now he sees that corner as a cage, and the door is bolted shut. He is still feeling very trapped and alone right now, despite any number of assurances we have given him. Reactions like this from him still have all the hallmark of him feeling like there is no where else to go or hide all over again. Locking the door like this, is the only way he can gain some sense of control.”

* * *

Katie Hitchcock had taken over command of the Bridge, and other crew members like Ben Krieg, Jonathan Ford and Doctor Westphalen had all eaten dinner, and gone to their own cabins for the night.

Lucas had remained behind his locked cabin door for the remainder of the afternoon and evening, without showing any sign of coming out to join them or wanting to talk.

It wasn't until well after 3.00 a.m. again the morning when Captain Bridger made his way into the mess hall, unable to sleep himself due to worry about the teenager. Upon wandering into the room, he came across Lucas having a cup of coffee on his own.

Nathan knew that Kristin would not be happy to hear that the teenager was missing more sleep and partaking in drinking caffeine at this hour. But being in here now, he couldn't help but think the quiet atmosphere may just present the right opportunity. The chance to talk may not come along during daylight hours when everybody was busy and there was too much noise.

Bridger poured a cup of coffee from the station, and came back to the table where Lucas was seated. With just the two of them in here again, it made it a little easier to talk. The conversation started exactly the same as it had the last time, only Bridger was hoping that he didn't say the wrong thing and have the teenager storm out.

“Couldn't sleep?” Nathan asked casually.

“Haven't even tried,” Lucas answered truthfully, and that could be plainly seen. The fatigue very noticeable. “And your excuse this time?”

“Not much different to the last time you asked, couldn't sleep either,” Bridger replied. He thought about adding _'worried about you'_ but changed his mind.

Nathan found himself thinking back to Ben Krieg's comments from earlier in the day about Lucas being a little more relaxed in his company. He took that observation and decided not to pressure Lucas about doing anything specific. He could sit here and lend an ear if the boy chose to unload any unresolved tension or frustration.

Lucas spoke first, surprising Bridger with the topic, “I guess you and others have lots of questions about why I freaked out when Admiral Noyce's name was brought up on the Bridge?”

“I am not here to judge you, Lucas, but if you want to talk about anything, I am willing to listen,” Nathan responded, thinking back to what he had said in front of the teenager's cabin. About him dictating when he was ready to talk.

“I am sorry that I left from there again, for a second time in a rush,” he said with some regret, with the first signs of apprehension emerging again in his body language. The Captain had offered to listen plenty of times, and he kept brushing him off. Just like he was trying to do now, so for the first time, he tried describing what had been going on in his head.

“At the time, I didn't occur to me that the Admiral would be calling up to talk to you, when I heard Miguel speak,” Lucas said, putting his coffee cup down, and focusing on the table as he spoke candidly. “Although I don't know why, because he has done so before. Its only natural for you and he to be talking about things going on with the SeaQuest.”

“You don't need to apologise. What did you think?” but then the answer came to him.

Lucas looked up at the Captain as he continued, playing with his fingers, “I was expecting the Admiral to be calling to say something about my father,” he confirmed, pushing away from the table, and fidgeting, unable to shake the nerves.

“I know that you probably thought I was reverting back to my old habits of wanting to hiding away again. And I cannot lie, you wouldn't be wrong about that conjecture,” he said with a self-depreciating, hollow laugh that fell flat.

“It is the first defense mechanism that kicks in automatically, without a lot of conscious thought or deliberate action on my part,” he continued. “I cannot help but react that way sometimes.”

“I know you are still overwhelmed by everything, but you can talk to me any time and I will try to help. I understand you have misgivings about everybody's intentions. I wish I could make it easier for you.”

“I know you are carrying a large dose of fear inside you about what must seem like an unknown future. That is totally understandable, and not something that I expect to disappear overnight.”

“Nothing will happen without your knowledge and consent,” he reaffirmed in relation to leaving the vessel. If he needed to keep emphasising or repeating that statement, then Nathan vowed that he would do so.

Bridger could see the emotions building, and reached over, grabbed both of the boy's hands gently in a gesture of comfort, and pouring meaning into his words. He agreed with Krieg's remark about affection never being shown towards him, but was pleased when Lucas didn't pull away from his touch.

“I want to believe what you are saying, and telling me about being here away from him. I do,” the teenager poured out, “But I guess my mind is continually reminding me and stopping me from thinking that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Or hope. Or whatever anybody throws out there as bait to cling onto.”

“I thought the Admiral would be calling to tell me.......that my father was ordering me to come home,” unable to make the words form into a coherent sentence, his voice barely above a whisper. He was holding onto his composure by a thread with sheer will power.

Bridger's heart almost broke at the teenager's admission. “We will get through this together!” giving his hands a squeeze in support.

To be continued..............................

Jules

**Author Notes:**

I hope that the multiple changes of emotion are not too jarring for readers. I want the uncertainty, and mix of emotions throughout and then the bits where a little co-operation is reached intertwining. Lucas is still both finding his feet on-board and dealing with the aftermath of the abuse being discovered, and coping as best he can.

There was a lot more to happen in this chapter, but that will now continue into the next one.

The details about Kristin's husband Nelson and her daughter's name being the same as Lucas's mother are all canon details from the show. As is the story about her daughter dyeing and shaving her hair. The story about her being deceased and how that happened are fictional only and woven in.

Anything to do with Krieg's background is totally invented, including about his own family and upbringing and where he is from, except his birth-date. Any antics between Ben and Bobby are totally made up, as are the younger years of Bridger and Bill Noyce.

Details about Lucas' extended family are made up, and some details about who the aunts and uncles are have already been given away in stories such as **_My Mother's Son_** and others such as **_“The Will”_**. I haven't decided yet how far I will explore about his grandparents.

All birthdays given for the characters are canon according to the show as much as possible, except for Kristin's exact day and month, as I could only find a year, so I chose the date myself. Any years and dates not revealed yet, will be in other plots as necessary.

I am setting up backgrounds for some of the other main characters at the same time, some have links to canon references, otherwise they are all invented to suit.

Information about the addresses where Ben and Lucas were living are invented, but Ben's is a real street name chosen at random in that area, and the baseball field name and the academy are real places. The area of San Jose for Lucas is a real place, but the street address is of course invented.

The details about Kristin's friend living in Africa and operating an animal reserve are invented to fit in with my future story _**Africa**_ and will be explored more in that plot.

The details about Lucas's rare blood type and allergies will be used for future plots and will come up as necessary in those. The were quite a few other large clues about things that happened, but haven't been fleshed out properly yet. They will be, just holding them in reserve for now for another time _ **.**_

The mention of motion sickness that I started right from the first chapter of _**Please Tell Someone**_ relates briefly to a few different upcoming plots and stories that are already written. But there it is also included in some completed stories such as _**The Perfect Christmas Present**_ and _**Whispers On the Wind**_ which will have major additions to them.

I was supposed to be writing a totally different story in another fandom to this one. Those readers will not be happy with me.

Thank you for reading. Enjoy. Any reviews gratefully accepted and cherished.

Jules

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please see author notes at the end of the story.


	3. Finding The Balance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Follows on from 'Please Tell Someone' - Lucas is trying to help and fit in with the crew, but some on-board are not letting that happen. New information is found out through a number of sources about the newest crew member. But the journey isn't easy for any of them, and there are still secrets being kept. Story Two (2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please see beginning author notes.

**THE GREEN PEN**

**By Jules**

**Author Notes –** thank you for everybody who is still reading. It truly means a lot that people are reading after such a long time of being away. I hope you enjoy this next instalment.

This is the second story in my new series, and it would be helpful for you to read **Please Tell Someone** as this story continues straight into a new page from the ending scenes of that story.

The reason for this title will not become apparent until much later in the story, but was thought of ten (10) years ago or more, when the original plot came to me long before I added in the new adoption arc.

Any legal references, laws, requirements for reporting abuse, the steps taken afterwards, court proceedings and outcomes and interview protocols are all fictional. Some are based loosely on real laws and circumstances, but a lot are fabricated to suit my story only and have been changed to suit the plot I have derived. The same with which authorities are involved and their individual roles and responsibilities.

With some of my medical procedures, I have used real techniques and treatments to a certain extent, but there are some that are completely invented for my stories as well and are totally fictional and should not be used for real people. They are used to progress my stories and include for specific scenes as required.

Given that SeaQuest is set in the future, medical technology would have changed greatly, with new procedures and medications and medicines being discovered and put into practice.

This chapter will be building to some of the most important scenes of the whole beginning adoption process, and that is Lucas' long held secret has just been found out. But I intend to have quite a few light-hearted ones as well and some new things happening as I can.

Sorry folks, but this chapter ended up even longer than all the others so far. That was not my original intentions, and quite a few scenes wrote themselves out of nowhere.

There will be a lot happening in this story as well, so I am not sure how long it will be yet. Quite a few more chapters longer than the first story.

**Chapter Three – Finding The Balance**

_towards the end of the previous chapter:_

“ _I thought the Admiral would be calling to tell me.......that my father was ordering me to come home,” unable to make the words form into a coherent sentence, his voice barely above a whisper. He was holding onto his composure by a thread with sheer will power._

_And now the story continues:_

After a few hours sleep, Captain Nathan Bridger left his quarters, making his way towards the Bridge. He was intending to talk to Commander Jonathan Ford who should have taken over from Katie Hitchcock not so long ago.

He fought hard against wanting to carry out a detour through the corridors, and his real desire to head towards _Mammal Engineering_ to check on their youngest crew member. But knowing exactly how long ago Lucas had left his company to go back to his own cabin and hopefully get some sleep, he didn't want to disturb the teenager too early this morning.

The siren wailed and the bell rang to signal the opening of the two heavy dome doors.

“Captain on deck,” came the dutiful announcement from Chief Crocker.

“Good morning, Chief,” he greeted Crocker. Commander Ford, anything out of the ordinary to report this morning?” Bridger questioned, returning the dutiful salute from his Executive Officer.

“Good morning, Sir,” Ford greeted the man as he approached the Captain's chair. “The glitches are still occurring, and Katie spent the majority of her shift last night combing through some of the systems, trying to figure out a cause for them. I believe she has at least one rather radical solution involving the communications station to suggest to you later in the day, Captain.”

“I look forward to hearing any progress she has made,” Bridger responded. “I had a rather sleepless night myself for a different reason.”

“Sir?” Ford said, taking a look at the Captain's outer appearance. The man appeared alert and ready to start his shift. “Did you require me to alter your hours on the Bridge this morning?”

“No, Jonathan, I will manage fine for now, thank you,” Bridger replied.

Nathan had yet to sit down, wanting to talk to another crew member who was on duty before doing so.

The Captain walked over towards Miguel Ortiz, who was carrying out a number of checks on the W.S.K.R.S. that were currently roaming outside in the ocean surrounding SeaQuest.

“Good morning, Captain,” Miguel greeted the man, and giving the appropriate salute as well, which was promptly acknowledged.

“Good morning, Mr Ortiz, I just wanted to inform you that Lucas leaving the Bridge yesterday in such a rush wasn't due to anything you did,” the Captain assured him.

“I didn't know that I was supposed to be screening calls from the Admiral and putting them through with more caution when Lucas was present,” he offered in apology. “Tim told me about your orders to him after it happened.”

Bridger was quick to comment in reply, “You don't have anything to be sorry or apologize for. What happened wasn't your fault, but I did get Lucas to open up a little more in the mess hall during the early hours of this morning.

“You did, Sir?” Ortiz asked, thinking that it was good that the teenager had been willing to talk to the Captain. Ford now had understood why the Captain had mentioned about not getting much sleep himself.

Nathan beckoned Tim O'Neill to come a little closer, and together with Commander Ford, they were all listening as part of the network.

“Lucas did share with me why he did so, but it was quite difficult for him to admit to what he was feeling at the time, even to me. Naturally, he is still holding a lot of unresolved fears inside at the moment, and it is starting to keep him from getting enough sleep at night. I will talk to Ben and Kristin this morning and let them know as well,” Bridger explained. He went to speak, but then changed his mind about the specific words.

The three men standing with him could see the Captain's hesitation before he continued.

“Lucas thought that Admiral Noyce was calling to tell him that he would be returning to his father, despite any of my earlier assurances that I gave to him that such a thing wouldn't happen without his knowledge,” he stated. He could see that their reactions to such a statement, and could see their empathy for their youngest crew member.

“That has to be rough on someone as young as him, thinking that all the time,” O'Neill contemplated, knowing that the teenager was still in pain from recent injuries.

“No wonder he ran out of here,” Miguel remarked. “No surprise then that he is up, keeping odd hours.”

“He knows that the man could be calling for any reason related to SeaQuest or the U.E.O. instead. So any further calls from the Admiral, please tell me quietly if Lucas is present on the Bridge,” he instructed.

“Yes, Sir,” came the trio of replies.

“I wouldn't expect any of us to see Lucas early today. Our little impromptu meeting didn't end until a few hours ago,” Nathan revealed. “By that time, the coffee had turned cold and wasn't keeping either of us awake. He would have only gone to sleep after returning to his cabin.”

“I know he organized with you to start work on those door locks again this morning, Jonathan, but that can wait until after he is awake and has eaten. These glitches will still be here waiting until then.”

“I agree with you on that, Captain. All of us have enough tasks on the Bridge at hand here to work with for now. We can allow Lucas as much flexibility as he needs, depending on how rested he is feeling later,” Ford spoke.

“What time is Lieutenant Krieg due to start his duties this morning, Commander?” Bridger asked.

Ford looked down at his watch and then went about recalling the duty roster for today, “Not for another hour, Sir.”

“Thank you, lets all return to those regular duties until then,” Nathan suggested. “I don't know what Kristin's schedule down in the science department is this time of the morning either, but I will let them both know together.

“Jonathan, let's back track to yesterday and revisit some of the glitches you and I were trying to solve here on the Bridge, and go from there.”

“Aye, Sir,” Ford answered, following the Captain back to his chair, and bringing up a set of blue prints for the various areas that they had been previously pouring over.

* * *

The Captain's assumption of what Lucas would be doing at this time of the morning was totally off course. The teenager had returned to his cabin after leaving the mess hall, but never actually went to sleep at all. He was tired, but wasn't about to admit that to anybody, so he used a fresh shower to try to rejuvenate himself and stay awake and appear more alert for a few hours.

He still had to be careful with the waterproof coverings to make sure they didn't get allow any water to get underneath and reach his stitches. They were supposed to prevent this, but they were not always foolproof. He didn't want to have to report to Kristin and tell her that he had gotten them wet.

Intending to head towards the mess hall and get some breakfast, there was something else he needed to take care of first, despite his desire to avoid it. He knew he wasn't doing himself any favours, or Kristin if he tried to dodge it too long. So once he left his cabin, he headed towards the science department to find the doctor.

As he made his way there, he was trying to figure out what he was going to do today. Working with Darwin on the vocorder was his intention sometime today, and he had promised Commander Ford that he would be starting work on the door locks this morning. But for the first few hours today, he wanted to find somewhere a lot quieter, and where what he was doing wouldn't scrutinised so much.

Reaching the science department, Lucas could see that Kristin was holding an early morning meeting with a large number of her staff in the first laboratory. There were a lot of people in the room, so it was easy for him to slip into the background without drawing attention to himself. There was a spare chair at one of the tables in the back left-hand corner, and that is where he patiently waited, listening to Doctor Westphalen as she gave instructions.

Once he started listening to the subject matter, he could hear her telling those present, that a large portion of them would be completing paperwork and carrying some basic medical tests. Just as he, the Captain and Ben had done the day before. Kristin was instructing them that they would be attending in smaller groups of two or three throughout the day at various intervals. With the number of staff that were currently in this room, it looked as though her schedule was taken up for the majority of the day and perhaps tomorrow.

“You all have your assigned tasks for this morning,” Kristin spoke, “If you have any questions or concerns about your own individual medical reports, you can approach me at any time. Otherwise, we carry on with the sampling schedule that I have already started implementing. Thank you all for your valuable time.”

There were a few discussions between different people in the room, a number of them mingling together and growing louder, so it was difficult to follow even one of them. Within a few more minutes, a portion of the team members had started to disperse. A few were grumbling about the unfairness of having to carry out the medical tests, others appeared to accept their fate and were not so bothered by what was going to be required of them.

It took about ten minutes before the room was almost empty except for Kristin herself, who was at the front of the room, carefully sifting through a number of files. She looked up as the silence began to grow, and noticed Lucas sitting at the back of the room for the first time.

“Good morning, what a lovely surprise this early, I didn't even see you come in here,” she smiled, stopping what she was doing and walking over to him.

“Morning,” the teenager replied, giving her a small shy smile in return. “Still too early for my liking,” he replied candidly.

“As you probably overheard, some of my own team are planning to mutiny against me in relation to completing their new medical files, just like you and Lieutenant Krieg did yesterday,” Kristin commented.

Whilst talking to him, Kristin thought back to when she had come across Ben Krieg the previous afternoon, pounding on the teenager's locked hatch door and pleading with him to open up and talk to him. He had told her that a number of crew members had witnessed the youth run from the Bridge in a sudden state of panic, after a video-link call was accepted from Admiral Noyce. The doctor had yet to learn the reason for his refusal to come out and talk.

Whatever the reason had been then, the teenager was not showing any outward signs of anxiety now, nor wanting to hide away from anybody, but there were other markers visible. It was becoming more difficult to try and map his mood swings and state of mind at any one time, or determine a set pattern for triggers. She had to be satisfied with the notion that all of them were still grappling with what had been discovered. Nothing about it wasn't easy, and finding any one solution to match wasn't going to work either.

“Looks like you are going to be busy today with the number of people that was in here,” Lucas remarked, watching what he thought to be her concentration drifting away from him momentarily.

“Did you need to see me?” Kristin queried, looking at his face, noticing the signs of tiredness that he was trying hard not to show. “Did you sleep at all last night,” she added, not being able to ignore what she could see.

“A little,” he said with honesty, but dropped his gaze away from her as he spoke. He could virtually feel the doctor assessing his overall appearance, even without her asking him any other direct questions about how he was fairing. He was silently hoping that she wouldn't dig too much deeper on that front.

From his posture, body language and not keeping eye contact with her, Kristin assumed that by giving the short two word response, the teenager was admitting to not sleeping very well at all. 'Adaptable' was the best one word phrase she could come up with to encompass the range of emotions and symptoms he was choosing to display.

“Are you having any pain anywhere at the moment?” came the first in a number of questions that Lucas had been fully expecting a few minutes earlier by coming down into the doctor's domain.

“My stitches have been pulling some, and I can't walk around with my hip too long before it starts protesting, but I don't need any medication yet,” Lucas said truthfully.

Lucas silently watched the doctor's expressions and mannerisms carefully, trying to determine any judgement on her part that might be directed at him now that Kristin knew about the abuse from his father. He could see her troubled glances about his tiredness.

He could see that she was troubled by his injuries and that he had not been taking care of himself, remembering back to the argument that had occurred between them. Going back over the questions she had asked him, shame began to creep back in when he recalled the accusations and hostility that he had answered with. He could tell as her words echoed back at him that she hadn't guessed at the real cause. Not until she had over-heard in the Ward Room like the Captain informed him.

The teenager found his thoughts drifting away for a moment, about the doctor overhearing what had transpired between him and the Captain. Looking at Kristin now, he realised that she knew about the abuse from his father. Today, he wanted to see if there were any further differences that he could pick up on since their exchange in med-bay. _Was she treating him any differently?_

Kristin was pleased that he was prepared to be honest with her about how he was feeling physically. She wanted know how he was coping mentally and emotionally as well, but one step at a time she reminded herself silently. Patience, support, and plenty of understanding was going to become her mantra for the foreseeable future.

“Did you eat yet this morning?” was the next question and that was the most predictable of any he expected the doctor to ask him.

“No, not yet, I was going to, but then remembered about the blood sample that you wanted to take from me yesterday,” Lucas answered. “So here I am. I was planning on getting something once we are done.”

“Well now, isn't that wonderful that you decided to come all the way down here and just give into my demands like that,” Kristin said with a hint of suspicion in her voice. She watched his face carefully in case he was genuinely trying to hide something from her.

“Don't get used to it,” Lucas said with a small grin, not offended by her doubts of his intentions. He had probably earned that a little by his efforts with the I.V. and escaping her custody before being formally released.

“I thought you would want to do it before I had anything to eat. That is what you said yesterday morning,” Lucas pointed out.

“When was the last time you had something to eat or drink?” Kristin asked, pleased that his mind was as sharp as ever, remembering important information from their conversations yesterday.

“I had coffee about three a.m. this morning,” Lucas admitted, waiting for her to scold him for drinking a caffeinated beverage at that hour of the morning. “I was with the Captain in the mess hall.”

“Oh were you both now!” she said, recognizing that being in there at that hour of the day was part of the reason he hadn't slept very well. Or more correctly he had not been able to sleep very well, and found himself in the mess hall drinking coffee with Nathan. “I shall need to have a discussion with the Captain about that,” she continued with mock sternness.

Lucas had wanted to tell her what had transpired between them, and what Bridger had said and how he had tried to help quell his fears, but in the end, he couldn't and left any topic of conversation that they did share to Kristin's imagination. He had found it easier talking to the Captain this morning, but didn't want to say that out loud, because he knew that she and Ben had been making efforts to get him to talk to them as well.

The teenager didn't know if he could have revealed some of the complex emotions, doubts and thoughts that he was experiencing in the mess hall to them, even on a one-on-one basis. He expected the Captain to report back to Kristin anyway about the truth of what had caused him to leave the Bridge in such a rush.

Kristin picked up on his mood sinking a little, putting a hand on his and giving a small squeeze, signalling that she was here for him. Nathan had been the most successful so far in getting him to open up, despite many the questions, concerns and worries of his own he held about Lucas. The two of them sharing some quality time over a cup of coffee was not something to be quibbling about.

“That was about five hours ago, normally I would like to see eight hours between the last food or drink before a testing blood sample is taken,” Kristin began to explain. “However, seeing as how I am wanting to do a type match for your blood first, only a small amount will be required for that.”

“Really?” Lucas asked hopefully.

“Only for the type match. After that happens, I would prefer you to have breakfast and eat something first before anything else this morning,” Kristin forewarned, knowing that encouraging him to eat on a more regular basis was paramount. “You can come and see me later today so I can take the sample for testing.”

“Now I have to give you two samples?” Lucas pouted with mock disgust, thinking he had been doing the right thing by coming to see her. But he hadn't envisioned signing up for giving two blood donations today.

“One very small one now, and one slightly larger one later,” Kristin said at hearing his mild protest. “You won't even notice the first one I promise, and it won't take very long at all.”

“Yeah, that is what you say now,” Lucas grumbled, as he stood up and prepared to follow the doctor into med-bay to give the first blood sample.

“You males are all the same, no matter how old you all are,” Kristin started to generalise as she lead the way. “One little needle, and you all suddenly think that you will be giving every drop you have. Not an ounce of bravery in any one of you when it comes to being pre-emptive about your own health.”

Lucas laughed at her casual poke in fun at the male population, but upon entering the room, he felt he had to own up to something that she may not have realised the last time she used a needle on him.

“Um, Kristin, there is something I need to tell you, or that you probably should know when it comes to needles and me,” he began to say as the doctor gestured for him to sit on the examination bed.

“Something the matter?” Kristin asked, detecting the change in tone of his voice, and knowing that he was being serious now, and all jokes had been put aside.

“No, but you probably should be prepared..... in the past when I have had a nurse or anybody giving me a needle.... well it hasn't always been smooth sailing,” he finished, not knowing how to explain to her about the other times of how he had reacted.

“It is perfectly normal to be a little afraid,” she stated, knowing that some people did have established phobias and a problem giving blood samples.

“Not scared so much, as in that I normally react involuntarily, not even meaning to,” Lucas tried his best to explain. “It has happened a couple of times, and I don't really know how else to describe it to you.”

“Thank you for letting me know, and I promise I will do my best so that you don't even know that it is happening,” the doctor replied. “You can look away when I am doing it, if that will help?”

“I really don't know if that will help,” Lucas answered. “I don't even know what sets it off, but I wanted you to make you aware that what ever happens, it is me, and not you or your technique.”

“Like I mentioned, this first sample to determine your blood type, only needs to be a small one,” Kristin explained as the teenager watched her pull out a small black case from a drawer. “This kit contains a number of items that someone who is diabetic may require to test their blood glucose levels on a daily basis.”

Lucas watched with interest as she chose a small item from within the case. It looked harmless enough, and not a needle like he had been expecting.

“This is called a lancet,” Kristin named, showing him the small tool. “It has a small specialised needle inside. Hold out your hand please.”

The teenager did what was asked of him, a little cautiously at first. He kept his eyes on Kristin the whole time as she took the lancet and place it over the index finger of his offered right hand. A few seconds later he felt a small distinct but painless prick to the surface of his skin. A droplet of blood welled from it as a result.

Kristin put the tool aside, and used a small tube to collect the sample required. “We used to take a larger sample for typing blood, but with a lot of improvement in this particular medical field, we now only require a tiny amount to get the same answer.”

“That didn't hurt at all,” Lucas said in surprise and a little relief. He felt the needle and could see the blood, but had not felt anything.

“That's good, but I will need the sample this afternoon to be larger for testing,” she forewarned. “It shouldn't hurt any more than now.” he added, trying to quell any concerns he may still be carrying.

“It doesn't even look like you will need anything covering it,” Kristin remarked, watching as the site had already stopped bleeding. “I will come and give you the results once they are ready.”

Now let's take a look at the rest of you,” she suggested, seeing his immediate roll his eyes in answer. “Shirt please,” she instructed, waiting patiently for him to comply.

“I thought we already did this enough,” he grouched, but started to comply, grimacing at the discomfort as he raised it over his head, pulling the stitches. “This wasn't part of the deal this morning.”

As Kristin could have predicted, the bruising to his hip area was now darker and angrier looking. Using gentle hands, the dressings were still intact and undisturbed, which was positive news as well. The original bruising to his shoulder area was still mottled and various shades or purple, but not as dark as the boot print.

Without voicing anything out loud, the doctor could see him trying to bite his tongue from making any sound that he was feeling discomfort and pain. Inwardly she shook her head at his stubbornness, but decided that there were larger battles looming in the near future that needed more of her time and energy. At the moment, she had to divert much of that to supporting Lucas, rather than finding fault.

“Everything appears to be healing normally,” Kristin declared truthfully. “You can put your shirt back on now, thank you.”

“Thanks, do you need anything else from me for now?” he asked, preparing to leave med-bay and head for breakfast.

“What did you have planned to do today?” the red-haired doctor asked, hoping that the teenager would opt to rest a little more, but doubting that her unspoken suggestion would happen.

"I promised Commander Ford that I would come and see him sometime this morning to start working on looking at the glitches that have been happening with the door locks,” the boy began. “But actually to tell you the truth, I haven't worked on doing anything else out beyond breakfast.”

Lucas didn't want to voice to her out loud that his desire to be around other people this morning was already quickly waning.

“Please go slow, whatever you choose to do,” Kristin pleaded. “You know where I am if you need me at any time before we meet up again this afternoon. And please drink plenty of water when you can.”

Lucas headed for the door, heading her words and nodding his head in acknowledgement that he had heard her, but not offering any definitive promise in return of his movements.

* * *

Lucas was pleased that he had done his good deed for the day and seen Kristin before committing to doing anything else this morning. It was true what he admitted to the doctor down in med-bay, he didn't know what he wanted to do yet. Perhaps a cup of coffee might sway the decision in one particular direction.

Whilst Lucas was entering the mess hall, Captain Bridger was still carrying out his duties on the Bridge, and his friend Ben Krieg had already having finished his first meal of the day a short time ago.

Head Chef Don was finishing wiping down tables as the teenager entered, most of the morning crowd had moved onto their duties, leaving only a few latecomers.

“Morning,” he said shyly, heading straight for the hot tea and coffee station. “Just going to grab a coffee and something light this morning.”

Don watched the boy grab a plate of toast from the serving counter, “There is more available in the kitchen that I just put away if you were looking for something more substantial, Lucas,” he mentioned, but pleased to see some kind of food in the kid's hand.

“Thanks, this is all I feel like for now,” Lucas replied casually, taking up a seat on one of the dining tables set against the wall and off to the side, where the overhead lighting wasn't so bright. From where he was sitting, the teenager would be able to anybody coming into the area, but those entering may not notice him straight away.

Very shrewd the chef noted silently to himself. He would help the Captain and crew to help the young man fit in easier, but didn't see the point of hounding or pestering the boy every minute and making him feel awkward. As far as the amount of food Lucas had chosen, perhaps it was not a whole lot, but better than nothing at all he surmised.

Half an hour later, Lucas approached the serving counter, handing over the empty small plate and the empty coffee cup to Don. “Thank you, I will come back later in the day for lunch.”

“Any time,” Don responded, taking the crockery from his possession. A lot of crew members just left them on the tables when they were finished. The chef appreciated someone making his morning tasks easier in an effort to be nice. Said a whole lot about the character of a person in his books. The teenager took a cold bottle of water with him as he left the area.

* * *

An early morning launch arrival with new supplies and stores had Lieutenant Ben Krieg busy for the immediate future. Whilst he was carrying out the unloading, Lucas made his way towards the Bridge.

Captain Bridger had left only a few minutes earlier for a short coffee break. Commander Hitchcock was still looking to gain his attention to discuss her radical idea with him for the communications station. He would need some more brain cells firing for that discussion after such little sleep overnight.

Chief Crocker gave the youth a smile as he entered through the dome doors. “Captain just left a few minute ago. You just missed him.”

“Thanks,” came the reply. “I will catch up with him later in the day.”

“Lucas, I didn't expect to see you here so early this morning?” Commander Ford greeted the boy with surprise, looking down at the time.

“Why? This is what we organized yesterday isn't it?” he replied, not knowing about Bridger revealing about their very early morning talk to a few of the crew.

“Yes it is,” Ford agreed, pleased to see the teenager keeping to the arranged timeline. The Commander walked over to a small work station, and picked up the tablet that he had waiting. “This is how Katie will monitor your progress throughout the day.”

For the next several minutes, Jonathan showed Lucas the system that was set up to log all maintenance to any part of the vessel. “When you are finished each door lock, you need to put your initials here, and record the time and date. This is how the brass at U.E.O. attribute costings and allocate any future funding to the required areas.”

“Seems like too many people chasing their tails to me, but I will do it like you ask,” Lucas commented, remembering the conversation they had already shared about the pressure being placed on him and Katie Hitchcock from people higher up at U.E.O. headquarters.

“Now because of the number of door locks that we know about, don't be concerned about doing them all within a week,” the Commander instructed. He knew that the boy was doing the work as a volunteer and not getting paid, so he wasn't expecting as much from him as he would from Katie's normal technicians.

“I will begin a little later , but I did want to do something else to start with this morning, if you didn't have any objections,” Lucas informed him, taking possession of the tablet.

“None at all, whenever you are ready to get started,” Jonathan answered. “Please take it easy, and have breaks at regular intervals or when you need to, because I don't want to become the next target of Doctor Westphalen.”

“I think I have that fairly well covered for now,” Lucas remarked, knowing that the doctor intended to keep tabs on him.

“If you have any problems, concerns or questions, you know where to find me for most of the day, and then Katie herself will also be on the Bridge after lunch time,” Ford told him. “Anything you can do to lessen the growing workload in front of us will be greatly appreciated.”

Ford watched the teenager leave the Bridge. He had tried to gauge how the young man was feeling physically, but the boy was playing his cards too close to his chest at the moment. The Commander thought himself to be a vigilant person when it come to leading team members, but he had to admit to himself quietly that he felt a little out of his depth and comfort zone with someone Lucas's age. That coupled with the complex issues that had just emerged and he felt much less than prepared than Bridger or Krieg.

* * *

Upon returning to his own cabin, Lucas had intended to collect his electronic tool and head to the moon pool to work with Darwin for a little while before beginning working on the locks. There were a couple of other projects that he thought about tackling, but in the end he choose one that didn't require him to leave his personal space.

For the next few hours, he worked on the software program for Kristin's science department. He had to get up from his computer desk on a couple of occasions to stretch the protesting muscles in his back and hip. The bottle of water he had brought, kept him hydrated.

The seclusion inside his own cabin, allowed him to keep to his plan of gaining some thinking time for himself. He didn't know how long it would last, and fully expected Kristin and the Captain to be knocking on his door at some point.

Cranking up the music and placing his headphones over his ears, Lucas wanted the music to keep his concentration, but block out anything else that had been going on inside his brain for the past couple of days.

* * *

Bridger had kept his own mind busy enough as the hours began to tick by, but sitting in the mess hall now, virtually on his own, they soon started to stray. Should he go and look for Lucas? Before he could answer that question, Kristin entered the mess hall.

“Good Morning, Nathan,” she greeted him warmly, filling a mug with coffee and milk, before joining him at the same table.

“Hello,” the Captain returned with a smile. He could feel her eyes casting a worried glance in his direction, and now understood how Lucas must have felt sometimes.

“You look tired,” she said plainly, knowing what subject was plaguing him at present. The same concern and desire to find a workable solution wasn't far from her own thoughts.

“That obvious, huh?” Bridger answered, but just as he prepared to talk further, Ben Krieg came in wheeling two large boxes on a trolley.

“Hello,” he said cheerfully, waving at both of them. “I will be back in a minute, these need to get delivered to Don.”

The Head Chef must have heard Krieg's voice, and stepped out of the kitchen to meet him. “What do you have there, Ben?” Neither of them needed to put on a display of banter this time around. Lucas wasn't anywhere to be seen to benefit from their impromptu, light-hearted taunting of each other.

“These are some of the equipment and supplies for the coffee and tea station. There are a few more boxes to come from the launch bay yet to follow these,” Ben stated.

“Fine, fine, just put them over there in the corner,” Don said, pointing to the corner of the room he had designated to set up for such a purpose. “There will be a cabinet for the non-perishable items put there later today. Any containers of milk and juice can be placed in the fridges out here or in the kitchens.”

Once the two boxes had been lifted from the trolley, both men walked back to the table that the Captain and Kristin currently occupied. The empty trolley was pushed and left beside the table behind them, out of the way.

“Captain, and Doctor,” Don said to them. “I just thought I should let you know that Lucas came in here for breakfast this morning. Didn't have a whole lot to eat, but he did have something. And took some water with him when he left and said he would be back later in the day for lunch.”

“Well that is some good news at least,” Nathan commented, happy to hear some positive news and that other people had at least seen the boy today. A few hours sleep must have helped him a little.

“I will head back to my duties now, I just thought you would want to know,” the man said.

“Thank you, Don, for your efforts,” the Captain said in gratitude.

“I haven't had a chance to spend any time with him this morning and see how he was doing,” Ben remarked. “The launch arrived and since then I have been up to my eyeballs in boxes.”  
  
“I am surprised to hear him up so early, considering what time he would have gone to bed,” Nathan said. “I couldn't sleep myself and found him in here at three a.m. this morning, sitting on his own again. I was going to check up on him before I started by shift, but wanted to let him get some sleep.”

“Lucas already dobbed you in, Captain, on what time you were both in here together sharing caffeine,” Kristin said in mock sternness, until she saw the troubled look on his face.

“I managed to find out why he left the Bridge in such a hurry yesterday,” Nathan shared, his voice portraying his growing frustration about the whole situation involving Lucas' father. He looked back at Kristin and Ben as he spoke. “I wasn't expecting him to talk much at all, but thankful that he did.

Ben could see the worry on the Captain's face over the teenager's emotional well-being. The talk they had shared together appeared to have been profound and had quite an impact on the both of them from what he could see in front of him.

“The fear he carries around about his father is very real and cannot be underestimated,” Bridger warned, but decided to keep how badly the boy was trembling between just the two of them for now. “He is trying to accept and understand that we are attempting to help him, but his reactions are spur of the moment or spontaneous. Driven by that factor of needing to escape and an adrenaline fuelled flight response.”

Kristin spoke gently, trying to ease the burden of guilt, and improve his sense of purpose, “If Lucas was willing to talk to you, even briefly, then you have achieved something good, no matter what time of the day or night. None of this is going to be easy, least of all for him.”

Like he had told the men on the Bridge earlier, there was no sugar-coating what needed to be said. “Lucas thought that Bill was calling to tell him that he would returning to his father.”

Ben sat up a little straighter, trying to put himself in the teenager's shoes. “He still thinks any one of us would let that happen if we could prevent or stop it? After seeing and hearing everything we know so far?”

“I have explained to him and repeated that nothing will be happening to him, without his prior knowledge or consent,” Bridger answered. “But at the moment, previous experiences are hanging over him like a heavy chain, weighing him down and dictating what his brain is telling him to do. Reminding him not to trust a whole lot of what he is being promised.”

“From what I was able to observe this morning, he appears to be coping well enough on the surface,” Kristin reported. “But I do think it is too early in the scheme of things to tell yet and that everything we are seeing at the moment is merely outer layers. He could be falling back into old habits and be good at masking what he is feeling physically and emotionally.”

“He came down to see me quite early this morning in the science labs,” Kristin told them. “The meeting was almost concluded, but somehow he slipped into the back of the room without me even noticing.”

“Voluntarily?” Ben questioned, seeing the same unspoken curiosity in Bridger's facial expression.

“Yes, he wanted to honour our agreement on giving me that blood sample before starting any work or eating any breakfast,” Kristin informed them. “He was there to witness first-hand the mutiny of my own staff when I advised them that they would be needing to fill out their paperwork and basic tests.”

“I second that motion and vote for mutiny with your staff,” Ben declared. “I will have to teach that kid not to be so honest or agreeable in future.”

“The test was quick and painless, and the results should be finished by the time I go back down to the laboratory,” the doctor told them. “Afterwards, I checked his other injuries to make sure that everything is beginning to heal.”

“For now, I have only taken a small sample to be able to type his blood. It had been less than five hours since finishing his coffee. He told me he was intending to head for breakfast afterwards, and I didn't want to deter him from doing so,” Kristin explained. “I have arranged for him to visit me again this afternoon to provide a larger blood sample.”

“You got him to agree to give two?” Ben said incredulously.

“We should come back then too, as we have not given our own blood samples to you yet,” Bridger voiced.

“Thanks a lot, Sir,” Ben grouched out loud. “Throw us both under the bus why don't you. Why did you have to go and remind her?”

Bridger gave a smirk at Ben's antics, forcing himself to have a more positive outlook. He couldn't fall into the trap of focusing all of his energy on wanting to hold Lawrence Wolenczak accountable when it was Lucas who deserved his time and efforts more. He could do with a few more hours sleep himself tonight, no doubt like his young charge.

If he was going to help Lucas get through this enormous and arduous task, then he needed to set aside his own negative feelings. He needed to be supportive and responsive to the teenager without feeling responsible for things that had already happened in the past that were out of his control.

“I may need your assistance then anyway,” Kristin remarked. “Lucas did confide with me that he can have an adverse reaction to injections sometimes.”

“Did he say why?” Bridger queried.

“No, but he didn't have any to the I.V. that I inserted into his hand, or the injections of Lidocaine I gave him when stitching his back,” Kristin pointed out. “Though, to be fair, his mind was probably trying to deal with the pain more than anything else at that time.”

“When he left med-bay, he told me he was headed for breakfast,” Kristin reported. “After that he didn't have any real plans except for helping Commander Ford with a task they had spoken about.”

“That was in relation to beginning to fix the electronic door locks,” Bridger affirmed.

“I suspect that that he will be wanting to spend some time on his own over coming days to work through his own thoughts and emotions,” Kristin surmised. “We will all have to keep an eye out, without crowding him. Keeping watch from a distance, so to speak.”

“I am heading back down to the science department. It is going to be a long enough day as it is,” Kristin predicted. “I will catch up with both of you, and Lucas later, I promise.”

“Good luck, you are going to need a suit of armour,” Ben called out as the doctor headed towards the doors of the mess hall.

“I guess we have our own duties to attend to as well,” Bridger commented. The two of them followed after Kristin, Krieg bringing the trolley with him. There was still copious amounts of stock to move this morning before lunch time.

Bridger accompanied his supply officer as far as the moon pool, and looked over at the vocorder control panel. “Whatever he chose to do this morning, it wasn't talking to Darwin,” he said, seeing that the control was still seated in its bracket.

* * *

Captain Bridger left Ben Krieg and the moon pool area, returning to his own long list of problems to sort out for the day that were needed to get the vessel operational. Time was running out and results would soon be expected whether they were prepared and ready or not.

“Lucas came in here only a few minutes after you left on your break, Captain,” Ford proclaimed. “He has taken the maintenance log to get started, but said he had something else that he wanted to work on first, this morning.”

“Thank you, Jonathan, I just shared a discussion with Kristin and Ben. Our young friend has been to see her this morning as well and she is pleased with his progress to date on his health and how his injuries are healing.”

“Let's discuss the remaining glitches that we have picked up on in here, before Commander Hitchcock starts for the day after lunch,” the Captain instructed. “I have a feeling that what she has in mind will require my full attention.”

“Yes, sir,” Ford nodded, knowing a little about the proposal his counter-part intended to bring up to Bridger. It would be a large scale undertaking, but could prove to be beneficial if it was given the green light. The Captain would need to understand her vision a little bit of immediate inconvenience now that could lead to long-term efficiency.

* * *

Approximately three hours later saw Lucas emerge from his own cabin, headed towards the mess hall for a late lunch. He had meant to stop an hour ago and stretch his leg, but time had gotten away from him. He was pleased with the progress he had made on the software for Kristin. Still quite a bit of coding to do yet before he could show her any worthwhile results.

When he entered the mess hall, the Captain, Commander Ford, Miguel and Ben were all seated together having their own lunches. Despite craving his own company for most of the day so far, a little human contact with these few individuals wouldn't go astray.

“I will be right back,” the teenager said as he neared the table, but then set off to grab a tray. He didn't really want any food at the moment, but didn't think the Captain would let him get away not having something in front of him.

Lucas returned to the table with a plate of sandwiches and a bottle of juice instead of coffee or water.

“Hey Lucas,” Ben greeted him enthusiastically. “Haven't seen you for most of the morning. What have you been up to?”

“I have been working on the software that I promised Doctor Westphalen for her science department,” Lucas answered, but didn't elaborate on wanting to work on his own.

Ford and Ortiz gave waves of hello, but were caught up in a conversation of their own about Miguel's work station. He noted that most of the lunch-time crowd has dispersed, and the noise levels were much lower.

The teenager chose to sit opposite Bridger, giving him a genuine smile and pleased at the quiet company. “Time got away on me a little. I was going to come in here earlier.”

This was the first opportunity to talk to the boy today, so he wanted to keep the atmosphere friendly and any chatter light and uncomplicated. The Captain noted a keen and instinctive alertness to everything going on around him. “I hope you haven't been over-doing it today.”

“No, going at a safe speed, I promise,” Lucas said with a small laugh. He picked up one half of the sandwich in front of him and was about to take the first bite when his attention was drawn to the conversation that Ford and Ortiz were continuing with.

He hadn't really been trying to listen in on the conversation, but with a little more volume to their discussion, it was hard not to fall into his natural habitat of computer wizard. Lucas put the sandwich back down, and picked up the juice.

“Commander Hitchcock was already telling me about the technical problems she was seeing crop up in other places around the vessel, before she started working with Tim,” Miguel reported. “But she didn't think that the causes were related,” he added.

“What is the nature of the technical problems has she been having elsewhere apart from the Bridge?” Lucas asked.

Miguel went on to describe in detail what Katie had shared with him about various computer work stations throughout the vessel, and what was being reported.

“Sounds to me that the protocols about plugging in unauthorised devices are not strong enough, or are not being heeded,” Lucas commented. “I have seen it many times before. People who randomly hook up to systems with personal laptops and tablets that don't have a shred of virus protection on them, and haven't even been scanned and analysed beforehand.”

“Crew members get sent messages when they first arrive, and explained to them that they need to check with the technical staff before doing so,” Ford informed the boy.

“From my experience most of the time, unless you staple it to their forehead, most people throw caution to the wind and have this casual attitude that _'It will never happen to me'_ ,” Lucas remarked. “But then cry the victim when something happens. Small systems or large operations, the size of the organisation rarely matters, even with one like this that has millions of dollars spent on it. It only takes one idiot to reek havoc for everybody concerned, and often the repair bill is off the charts in wasted time and money.”

“That is why the first thing I do with any computer equipment that I work with, new or otherwise, is to make sure that its internal structure and memory are separated from the main servers and have my own specialised brand of protection in place. Because I am not risking my data-banks or hardware on someone else's stupidity or don't care attitude,” he went on to explain further.

“What would you suggest we do about that, Lucas?” Bridger inquired, impressed by the boy's candid reply, and noting an edge to his voice when it came to his area of expertise and how systems could be so easily compromised. He could see the first spark of passion ignited by wanting to share his knowledge, but also could also see him grasp the underlying recognition of bad habits that people adopted.

“There needs to be a system of guidelines in place to tell people that any personal devices need to be checked when they are brought on-board, before they are hooked up to any of the vessel's computer systems. And those rules need to be checked on regularly and enforced,” the teenager replied. “Otherwise all this repair work to what Stark created will be useless.”

“I will talk to Commander Hitchcock, Sir, and tell her what Lucas has suggested. I doubt though that we have the manpower within her team to put together such a rigorous screening program,” Ford said to the Captain. “Thank you for your input, Lucas.”

The teenager nodded his head in acknowledgement, but shrugged off the notion that he had done anything. What he was promoting as safe practices for the computer systems aboard the SeaQuest were mostly common sense.

The boy had polished off half a sandwich and the juice, but didn't feel hungry enough to finish what remained, and pushed it slightly to one side. His own thoughts started to drift towards what work he intended to start after leaving here.

Before he made that decision, the next topic that was introduced was Ortiz's work station and how it was being plagued with problems during the last few hours.

A few more questions came from Ford to Miguel about what measures he had taken to work out the problem, Lucas found himself weighing in again, “Sorry I don't mean to interrupt, but what you are both describing sounds like a coding problem.”

“How difficult would it be able to tell, Lucas?” Ford directed a question at him.

“That depends on the system itself, and would require looking at the source code,” the teenager answered. “It might be something simple, or it could mean that you have something more to worry about. But you would need to have someone dig around inside it to find out for sure.”

“That is just great,” Ford announced with frustration creeping in about the continual delays. “Katie is already working on Tim's communication station because it is having its own unique set of problems. I doubt she will even consider it a priority at the moment unless something more dramatic happens, and by then, it means more valuable time lost.”

“Did you want me to come and take a look, Commander?” Lucas offered, not really expecting the man to accept.

Ford baulked at the offer for a moment, and it clearly showed on his face, because Lucas was about to leave the table and head off to do something else.

They were still unfamiliar with his work with computer systems, and it was only natural for them to be apprehensive about allowing him access to systems that were usually strictly off limits and classified. The teenager accepted that this would probably be the case for the time being, and wasn't offended at Ford'sreluctance to completely trusthis abilities.

There was no denying that he had been disappointed when over-hearing them discussing it behind his back near the bridge that day. Lucas had learned that people often reacted differently to his skills and there wasn't a whole lot that you could do but show them over time. Sometimes it felt like all he ever did was prove himself to one person or another, but he didn't voice that opinion out loud.

Ben Krieg was about to speak up in Lucas' defence and give a colourful comment on what he labelled as the Commander's usual stuffed shirt approach to problem solving. Katie had the same narrow viewpoint at times. But his objection quickly turned into a grin on behalf of his friend when the heard the Commander answer.

The more Jonathan pondered the reasons against letting him try, the more he came up into granting him access. It wasn't as if they were going to be making any real progress until they found a workable solution. “Anything that you are able to do, Lucas, I would greatly appreciate,” Ford replied sincerely.

Lucas got up from the table, still talking to Miguel about what he had been seeing happen to his station as he walked. Ben got up from the table to leave as well, but it was the the Captain looking back at the boy's plate, noting how much had not been consumed. Hopefully he would be ready to eat more at dinner time.

* * *

Five people now entered the Bridge, and then split into smaller groups, with Ford joining Miguel and Lucas at the sensor station. Lucas sat down and patiently listened, as Miguel pointed out visually what had been occurring. The glitches so far had been fairly minor, but enough to notice, and the vessel could not afford for it to be inoperable or under-performing for any length of time.

Commander Hitchcock and Tim O'Neill were currently absent, working on the problems that the communication station was experiencing, which were becoming more urgent. Katie had already deducted that the errors were more hardware related than software induced, so she was currently employing different methods of investigating the causes. She would be using schematic drawings of the electronic cabling pathways, and following them to various points that gave critical readouts and data back to the Bridge.

Bridger monitored what was going on from his Captain's chair, trying to stay out of the way, and encouraging Ben to do the same.

Miguel was just about to show Lucas how to bring up the source code for his station, but before he could do so, the teenager displayed it on the screen for himself, without any assistance. He missed the exchange of glances between Ortiz and Ford, who were both pleased that someone with knowledge was looking at the problem.

For the next ten minutes, Lucas quietly read through the lines and lines of code that he was presented with. His face the picture of concentration. Unfortunately he was so caught up by what was in front of him, that he wasn't providing a running commentary of what the problem might be. Ford watched his eyes scroll slowly downwards, and his hand extend to the control panel.

Lucas turned his head and spoke to Miguel because he was the operator experiencing the problems first hand. He began explaining about what he could see happening and determining what the possible problem was.

“Coding is basically another language, one that needs translating. This one is fairly simple enough, and one that you and Katie Hitchcock and any number of people on her technical team could no doubt follow without too much difficulty,” he continued. Ortiz would not have reached the position of Chief Sensor operator without the proper credentials he surmised.

“Somewhat,” Miguel agreed, having had some experience himself. Hitchcock's level of understanding would far exceed his own knowledge and capabilities. “But what has been occurring is too random for me to be able to pick up a reason why.”

“How many computer languages could there possibly be anyway,” Krieg interrupted.

“You really want me to break it down for you?” Lucas answered with a question of his own. “That is like asking how much helium is needed to fill a party balloon.”

“Or in Krieg's case, how much hot air,” Miguel joked, earning himself a playful punch from Ben and a laugh from those gathered around at his expense.

“For general purpose programming that is used everyday, my best guess would be conservatively somewhere between five hundred to over two thousand,” Lucas gave in estimation.

“Two thousand!” Ben exclaimed, not believing the number he was hearing.

Lucas decided to give the man some more statistics that would truly challenge what he understood about computers and boggle his mind. “For all active computer languages that have been used in the past, including those considered dead or abandoned, the number is much higher. Probably in the vicinity of five thousand to twenty-five thousand.” The teenager gave a smirk at the shocked expression that he extracted from more than one person listening in.

Lucas went back to looking at the coding, keeping any further opinions to himself.

“Looks like gobbledygook to me,” Ben commented, only to earn himself a disapproving stare from Ford.

Krieg was slowly edging his way a little closer to Miguel's station, and was now standing directly behind the teenager's chair. He was not able to offer any worthwhile strategy or be of any real assistance.

“Don't you have somewhere else you need to be, Lieutenant?” Jonathan questioned, intending for it to be a polite way of telling him to vamoose off the Bridge before he made it a direct order.

“Nope, nothing pressing for the moment,” Krieg replied to the man, knowing that he did have other duties to be doing, but curious to see the kid in action.

“Can you pick up on what might be happening, Lucas?” Ford asked.

The teenager made a couple of non-committal noises to acknowledge the Commander's question, but kept reading rather than answer.

Ford decided to try once again to get Lucas to respond, not fully perceiving the reaction he was about to invoke, and choosing a poor method for doing so. “Do you think it might be part of Stark's virus attacking the station's core like before?” As the question was raised, Ford made the mistake of putting a hand on the teenager's right shoulder to gain his attention.

Lucas had been so caught up in his reading and concentration, that the touch to the bruising and stitches of his injured right shoulder took him completely by surprise. The teenager jumped at the fresh stab of pain and grabbed at the area with his left hand.

The unexpected physical contact interrupting his focus and train of thought on the task. The sudden movement pulling at the stitches located further down his back in protest as well. A sharp rebuke came from Lucas, as he pushed the chair backwards and tried to get to his feet in a rush, almost ending up on the floor. “What did you go and do that for?”

“Commander!” Krieg shouted in challenge, wanting the man to be more careful and mindful that the teenager wouldn't appreciate physical contact yet by other people, whether it caused discomfort or not.

Bridger had stepped forward, wanting to check on the teenager, but could see for himself that the boy was about to object loudly to everyone crowding around him in addition to the unwanted pain.

“Lucas, I am truly sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you,” Ford quickly said with genuine remorse in his voice and guilt written across his face.

Uncharacteristic impatience was not something that he usually prided himself on. The Commander wanted to assure the boy that his action had been an accident and not intentional. After addressing the teenager, he looked over at Bridger in an attempt to convey his sincerest apologies.

“Forget about it, I am fine,” Lucas stated with a grimace as he sat back down on the chair, trying not to display how much it had hurt. He knew that it had been an accident on Ford's part, and he that the man had not meant to cause him pain. But people were standing too close and it felt like they were breathing down his neck, and he didn't like it.

Ford wanted to say something else, but chose to be quiet and listen to what the prognosis for the station was. Lucas had pulled his hand away from rubbing at his shoulder

“To answer your earlier question, no I don't think that what Miguel is seeing has anything to do with Stark's virus. I took care of getting rid of that from all the systems on-board when it was found,” Lucas stated. “Take a look at this,” he instructed, putting his finger on a line of coding on the screen.

“Part of the code is fragmented in places. This is probably why the errors up until now have been minor ones and everything has been running relatively smoothly without too much drama. It is not missing entirely like one could suspect with a virus or something much more nastier, but it would only be a matter of time before it does start to create real problems. ”

“What can be done about that in the short-term to prevent anything more serious from happening?” the Commander asked.

“The simplest solution would be to have the affected sections of coding identified and rewritten, and then uploaded again once they have been amended. That would mean that Miguel could keep working and using the station and the update could be done as a patch once it is ready,” Lucas answered.

“Is this something you could do for us, Lucas? And what would you need to complete such an undertaking?”

Lucas looked over at Bridger, before offering his reply to Ford. “With a few conditions,” he stated in affirmation, wanting to negotiate is own terms.

“Name them,” Ford said in complete seriousness, but wondering just how much leeway he was going to be expected to give.

Lucas' first term was meant as an off-handed comment towards the Commander to ease any concerns he might harbour about causing him pain a short time ago.

“Firstly, Krieg has to go,” Lucas remarked with a cheeky smirk, hoping that Ford would be able to read between the lines and catch onto what he was doing.

“Done!” Ford readily agreed. “Chief Crocker, be prepared to remove the Lieutenant from the Bridge immediately,” he ordered the security man. Jonathan had wanted to include the words _'by force if necessary'_ but held back anything further.

Ben's response was the desired result, as the man spluttered with indignation and was about to launch into a strongly worded rebuttal in his own defence.

Bridger was astute enough to see the exchange for what it was worth and declined to intervene on behalf of his morale officer who was about to seek an over-ruling of such a decision. Crocker had taken a few steps towards Krieg in jest, but saw a brief shake of the Captain's hand to signal that his efforts would not be necessary.

Any objection that Krieg was about to declare was quickly forgotten about as he heard the kid's explanation.

"Sorry, Ben, but when it comes to computers and coding, I don't play or work well as part of a team. I need to maintain my independence away from other people, especially from those who are constantly looking over my shoulder. So annoying,” Lucas said, giving an honest description of how he preferred to work. But he grinned as Krieg moved beside Ortiz to avoid Crocker's easy reach.

Ben understood that the kid was poking at him in fun and knew that he wanted any involvement to be understated. He could see what the teenager was trying to do for Ford as well. “That's alright kid,” he sighed dramatically. “I know when I am not wanted around here,” he added with a huff of exaggeration.

Lucas was pleased to see that his friend wasn't offended and played along as a willing participant and prankster.

“Which brings me to my second condition. I will work on the said coding and determine what is missing, rewrite it and then prepare it for uploading. But not here on the Bridge. With your permission, I request to send a copy to my own computer so that I can work on it in my cabin.”

“Anything else?” Ford queried.

“Nope. As a programmer, my needs are simple and usually only consist of somewhere quiet to work and to be able think,” Lucas replied. “And copious amounts of caffeine, because it might take some time to finish.”

Bridger was about to say something about the caffeine intake on Kristin's behalf, considering his own had definitely increased in recent days at odd times of the day. In relation to the need for a quiet place, he was about to point out the volume of the teenager's music that he had heard at times, but chose not to say anything out loud.

“Granted. I think those reasonable requests can be accommodated, in addition to allowing you all the time you need, Lucas,” Ford confirmed, relieved that there were no arduous demands.

* * *

As he was currently on the Bridge and had Ford's virtually undivided attention, he decided that he had nothing to lose in bringing up another subject about the vessel.

“Whilst we are talking about glitches occurring, who was the bright spark that rubber stamped the location of the comm link buttons around the SeaQuest?” Lucas asked Ford.

“You have a problem with them?” Ford asked, trying not to be specific about the conversations that had been over-heard between the med-bay and Ward Room, and the teenager's own cabin.

“I don't mean to criticize whoever the certified whacko was to design such an intricate and invaluable link system, but they didn't really think past the aesthetics of where they were placing vital operations like that,” Lucas pointed out. “In some places they are too close together, and problems are bound to emerge in the future if crew members are not watching carefully enough.”

“I will bring the matter up with Commander Hitchcock, and let her know your thoughts, Lucas. But I wouldn't hold your breath about any changes being carried out,” Ford replied. “The U.E.O. can have tunnel vision at times when it comes to where they believe controls should be places for maximum efficiency.”

Ben Krieg and the Captain were listening to the conversation happening in front of them, but felt less than qualified to add to it. They were pleased to see Lucas not afraid to speak up about what he saw as inconsistencies and errors in relation to the computer and electronic equipment of the vessel. Even if the wheels of change were slow.

Just as Ford finished speaking, Katie Hitchcock and Tim O'Neill came back onto the bridge. Both of them saluted the Captain as they approached the group. The Commander had caught the tail end of what her counter-part was saying.

“You wouldn't be objecting to the engineering department would you, Commander Ford?” Katie asked with sarcasm. “Tim and myself just spent the best part of the afternoon, sifting through a labyrinth of cabling and conduits, in what they would label a perfectly optimised system.

“Not me, young Mister Wolenczak here,” Ford said with a smile. “It seems that he is shedding doubt on their abilities too about their placement of certain systems on-board.”

“Good to see, keep up the good work, Lucas,” Katie praised the teenager. “Maybe a few of us that know better, and understand more, could demonstrate that what looks good on paper and in detailed schematics, doesn't always transfer well in practicality.”

Lucas nodded his head in acknowledgement, pleased to see that his own viewpoint was shared by others with hands-on experience.

“Lucas has volunteered to look at the coding for Miguel's station and rewrite anything that needs fixing. That should ease your own workload quite a bit,” Ford informed her.

“Thank you, anything that helps cut down on my growing list at the moment, and can only be viewed as a positive thing,” Katie responded. “Let me know if you have any questions, Lucas. I will be here on the Bridge for quite a few more hours.”

“You are welcome, I will keep you both informed about what I find out and when it is all done,” the youth said with a smile. “I have downloaded what I need and will take a look at it back in my cabin.”

“Seems there was quite a bit happening here while we were both crawling around underneath the floors,” Tim O'Neill commented. “What else did we miss?”

“Oh nothing much, just Ben getting kicked off the Bridge,” Lucas said with a smirk, looking in the direction of his dark-haired friend.

“For no reason whatsoever,” Krieg quickly piped in.

“I am sure there was a reason, Lieutenant,” Katie stated, knowing it bugged her ex-husband to call him by his rank, rather than his first name.”

“There you go again, making wholesale assumptions without knowing the facts,” Krieg fired back at her.

“Getting underfoot,” Lucas reported casually.

“Oh, trust me I know how true that statement is,” Katie agreed, as the group once again shared a laugh at Ben's expense.

The two of them often exchanged in playful banter, still holding onto a genuine friendship and healthy respect for each other. It is how they lived and worked together in such close proximity, avoiding animosity and preventing bitterness between them.

But it was the teenager who soon had them all in laughing in stitches again.

“Come on, Ben,” Lucas called out as he stood up from the chair, preparing to leave. “I will do Chief Crocker, Commander Hitchcock and everybody else here a favour and escort you to the door myself, before you get yourself into any more trouble.”

“Yes master, yes master,” Krieg returned, hunching over at the waist and lumbering after the boy with a comical gait.

Crocker was using his cap to hide his own laughter as the two of them walked past him.

“Jonathan, my shift is over here for the day as well. We can pick up where we left off in the morning,” Bridger instructed, feeling a little tired. “I am heading for some quiet relaxation time for the remainder of the afternoon, some dinner a little later and a spot of reading before the end of the night,” still grinning himself at the antics Ben and Lucas.

“Good Afternoon, Sir,” Ford responded, saluting dutifully as the man walked from the Bridge.

* * *

After leaving Bridge, Ben planned on returning to his own work, wanting to make a dent in the amount of stock he had to put away.

“Want to meet up for dinner afterwards?” he asked the teenager as they started to part ways.

“Sure, see you then,” Lucas agreed, but his mind already turning to tackling the coding that was currently waiting for him on his computer. He grabbed a drink from the mess hall, and headed back to his own cabin, not planning on coming out again for several hours.

Bridger's plans for relaxation for the afternoon involved taking a swim with Darwin in the Moon Pool. On his island, they used to swim everyday, but since coming on-board, he hadn't had the opportunity very often.

After donning on a wetsuit and climbing into the tank, Bridger rubbed the animal's head gently, “Ready to go for a swim?”

The vocorder control was still in its bracket on the panel nearby, but close enough to translate the mammal's clicks from this distance.

 _'Darwin swim with Lucas'_ the dolphin chirped excitedly. _'Darwin and Lucas friends'_

“Oh thanks a lot,” Bridger mused. “Yes, I know who your loyalties are with now. Lucas cannot come and swim with you today, he is still hurt. You will have to settle for being stuck with me as a play buddy.”

The dolphin's answer to that suggestion was to spray Bridger directly in the face with a squirt of water and swim away. The man was left to brush away the dripping liquid whilst wearing a mildly surprised expression at the animal's brashness.

For the next hour, the two of them enjoyed each other's company just like old times, until Darwin decided it was time to head out into the ocean and feed. The water was cool and refreshing, so Bridger decided to spend some more time keeping up his physical fitness by swimming a few long leisurely laps.

* * *

Several hours after dinner had finished serving in the mess hall, Lucas emerged from his small cabin, but headed in the opposite direction towards the Captain's quarters.

After Bridger had returned to his cabin after swimming with Darwin, he had taken a fresh shower, changing into some casual attire, intending to head to dinner. He decided to fill in the remaining time by taking some time to read a novel.

Lucas knocked politely on the door twice, and was about to walk away, thinking that nobody was inside. Upon opening the door, he proceeded to walk inside, closing the door quietly behind him.

“Captain, are you in here?” he called out, feeling like he was intruding. He wanted to gain Bridger's permission for working on the holographic program tomorrow morning. Just has he had asked previously.

Then he saw for himself why the knocks at the door had gone unanswered. Bridger was currently sitting in a chair, with an open book in his lap. The man was leaning against the back of the chair, with a lamp shining from a desk right next to him.

The man's features were calm, relaxed and he was asleep. It looked as though he had been that way for more than a few minutes. His reading glasses were sitting precariously on top of the open book, and were in danger of falling onto the floor.

Lucas tiptoed closer, not wanting to make the slightest noise, and feeling strange about being in there when the unsuspecting man was sleeping. The Captain looked tired, and the teenager didn't want to interrupt any peaceful repose he was gaining.

He looked over at the desk, trying to work out what to use as a temporary bookmark to keep the man's reading place, not wanting to damage or crease the page unnecessarily. Looking at the hard-cover book, he noticed it had dust jacket. Not many books now had them nowadays. Using the front flap of the jacket as a makeshift bookmark, then picked it up and placed it carefully and soundlessly on the desk. The reading glasses were folded neatly and placed on top, so that he would find them easily upon waking.

The title of the book caught his attention, _'Jaws'_ by someone called Peter Benchley. The picture on the front cover was showing a shark's head coming up out of the waves. Lucas didn't ever recall reading it, and wondered if it was any good. He made a mental note to ask the Captain about during casual conversation at another time.

Lucas reached over and switched off the lamp, before starting to head out of the room. He had one or two more stops to make before heading back to his cabin again. He could come back here early in the morning to talk about the holographic program.

Looking back at the Captain, the man hadn't heard his presence at all, which was probably a good thing. He didn't want to be responsible for the man missing out on sleep. The teenager couldn't help but be concerned that the man was working long hours with all of the glitches happening on-board. Perhaps he was spreading himself too thinly lately, which included spending time with him during the early morning hours over coffee.

* * *

After leaving the Captain's quarters, Lucas headed back down to the science lab area to find Doctor Westphalen.

“Knock knock,” the teenager greeted her, standing in the doorway to med-bay.

Kristin was currently gathering up a number of medical files and putting them in the order she wanted them. She was looking at little tired as well after such a long day.

“Good evening,” she smiled warmly at him. “You have come back to honour your word about providing that second blood sample have you?”

“Unfortunately,” Lucas replied. “But if you are busy, I can postpone it until another time.”

“Oh no, that has already happened enough,” she said, beckoning for him to come in. “Take a seat there on the examination table. The quicker this is done, the sooner it is all completed and you don't have to be concerned about it any more.”

Lucas complied with her request, sitting quietly, watching her get the equipment ready that she would need. He saw the collection tube and the needle, swallowing nervously a little.

Kristin looked over and saw him watching what she was doing, and saw that he was trying to keep calm. “It will be just fine, I promise,” she said, rubbing her hand on his upper arm in reassurance.

“Sorry, just out of habit I guess,” he offered in explanation.

“Did you eat dinner tonight?” she inquired, trying to keep his mind off giving the sample. “I didn't make it to the mess hall myself this evening yet. I only finished the last interviews twenty minutes ago, and was making some final notations on those files when you arrived.”

“No, I got caught up in my own work and only came out of my cabin a short time ago.” Lucas replied. “I was supposed to meet Ben, but didn't.”

“That is good then, so let's get this done and out of the way, so you can get something after leaving here,” Kristin stated. “Which side do you prefer?” wanting him to be involved with any choices that had to be made as much as possible.

“Right arm please, so I can keep all the bruising and damage to my body to the one side,” he said, adding a brief grin, intending for the comment to be comic relief. Kristin gave him a half-grin in return, and he could see that neither of them felt like laughing about any injuries he was currently sporting.

“You can look away if you like,” she said calmly, as she made the final preparations before inserting the needle.

As soon as the needle point touched the soft skin on the inside of his elbow, she witnessed first-hand a noticeable involuntary flinch. Looking up at his face, she didn't see him reacting because it had hurt. Thankfully she had been holding onto his arm when it happened, to prevent the needle going off-track and potentially causing a problem.

“Sorry, that was what I was trying to describe to you.”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” she assured him. “I can see what you mean, but I cannot offer you a reason for why your muscle reacts that way. I will have to keep an eye on any other times it happens.”

“Oh no you don't, this is it. After tonight, I am not offering you too many opportunities to become a human pin cushion,” he stated firmly.

After that initial adverse reaction, taking the sample then proceeded without further incident. When she was finished drawing the blood, she immediately went about placing a cotton ball over the needle mark. “Hold this on there for a few moments, please.”

Whilst Lucas was doing that, the doctor went about labelling the sample correctly, disposing of the needle and everything else that was used in a safe and hygienic manner.

“Keep that on there for a little while, but then you can remove it and discard it,” Kristin instructed.

Lucas had picked up that she hadn't made any comment to his statement, and this caused his suspicions to start to rise. “What are you not telling me?” he questioned plainly as he watched her place a piece of adhesive tape over the cotton ball to secure it in place.

“There is nothing to be concerned about, I promise,” Kristin answered truthfully. “I have the result of your earlier type test if you wish to hear about it?”

“Is it rare?” he asked, thinking this was the reason she was being over cautious about telling him.

“Yes it is. Your blood type is rare, but not something to be alarmed about,” she quickly confirmed. “Now that we do know what it is, the proper precautions can be taken and best practices put into place.”

“Precautions?” he asked dubiously, not liking what she was saying at all.  
  
“Your blood type is AB-, one of the rarest across the United States,” she informed him. “Only a small number of people in the general population have the same blood type as you. The statistics would predict less than one percent of people have it. My best estimate would be approximately 0.6 percent. Less than one in one thousand people. And for a number of years, that number has been steadily declining.”

Lucas stared back at her for a few moments, trying to figure out what to say. He had told them about it being rare because he had over-heard it years before. But now that it was being laid out before him in black and white, he didn't really know what it meant for him or his health.

Kristin could see the look on his face and the unspoken questions of what problems he may encounter, “You have nothing to worry about,” she reiterated. “This sample will be tested, and it will help me determine your immunisation status.”

“I don't know whether I have had any of the shots that kids are supposed to have when they are little,” Lucas commented. “I don't remember.”

“You won't have to,” she informed him. “That is all part of the screening this sample. It will check for the levels of various antibodies in your blood. That way, we can avoid the need of giving you any vaccines that you don't necessarily need. It will avoid you having to go through the process of being immunised against everything all over again.”

“Are you sure?” Lucas asked in a small voice, not happy at all about all this talk in relation to vaccines. _'Would his mother and father have taken any precautions when he was little and before their marriage ended so badly?'_ He didn't know.

_'If they had started the immunisation process from when he was a baby, would they have made sure that he received those recommended protections required at the appropriate milestones?'_

“Don't allow yourself too stressed about it. Trust me as your doctor and let the science tell us what we need to know,” she conveyed. We can approach all of this with a two-pronged attack.”

“What other precautions are you talking about?” he asked with some apprehension. _'Two-pronged?'_ That sounded less than ideal to him.

“You may want to hold off on your earlier comment about being a pin cushion,” she told him, seeing his eyes suddenly widen and understanding what that meant. “I would suggest that over the next several months, you donate some of your blood. Once or twice should be sufficient. It will be carefully screened, frozen and stored correctly here on-board SeaQuest.”

“Now you are sounding like some blood-sucking vampire,” Lucas accused her, knowing that she would have his best interests in mind.

“That is only one of the options we have on hand,” she said, seeing him struggle with the idea of wanting to donate blood, even on an infrequent basis. “Blood that matches your type that has already been donated from other people, can also be sought from hospitals or blood banks and kept for later use.

“That is just downright gross,” he declared flatly, making a face at such a transfusion idea and not liking it any more than the other choice.

Kristin reached over to his file, and a piece of paper that was loosely sitting inside. “This is the consent form that I spoke to you about for your medical records. I am not sure how long it will take for anything to be found. But any that are, might also provide information that I need to know as your doctor. I will share anything with you if any are located.”

With some reluctance, Lucas accepted the form and pen she offered and gave his signature. He had agreed to provide it.

“The medical records and the blood test should give us all the information we need about your health,” Kristin said with confidence. “I have had to do it this way in the past with other patients.”

“I don't know if I do want be told about anything you find,” he remarked honestly.

“Why don't you go and get something to eat now, and relax for the rest of the evening before trying to get some sleep,” the doctor suggested. “We can worry any results that may be found at that time.”

“Yeah, okay,” Lucas said getting down off the bed with quite a few thoughts running through his head.

“I am here at any time if you want to talk,” Kristin offered. “About any of this, or something else in general,” she prompted.

“Thanks,” he said, knowing she did mean well and cared. He paused and turned back towards her as he began to take another step.

“While we are talking, do you know about anything going on with the Captain?” he asked, changing the subject of discussion from himself to Bridger.

“Going on?” she returned, with a question of her own, seeing that he was concerned about something involving Nathan. “Did you talk to him today?”

“Yeah, in the mess hall for lunch earlier today,” Lucas answered. “But before I came in here tonight, I went to his cabin to ask him a question.”

“Wasn't he there?” she surmised.

“I knocked a couple of times, but when he didn't answer, I went inside. You know, just to check on him,” Lucas explained as he fidgeted awkwardly, not wanting to admit out loud that he had been worried when the man didn't answer straight away. He thought it odd at the time.

“The Captain was asleep, sitting up in a chair. Catching some extra z's I guess,” the teenager recounted with a shrug of his shoulders. “He looked relaxed, but kinda tired. Being aboard a place like this twenty four, seven and responsible for everything that goes on and everybody, cannot be an easy job.”

“I am sure, Nathan, I mean the Captain is just fine, Lucas,” Kristin replied. “Being Captain would be tiring. It is nice to hear that he was getting some rest, even if it wasn't in a bed.”

“Well what I wanted to ask wasn't that important. I will talk to him tomorrow,” the boy gave with a casual hand gesture of goodnight to her.

Kristin smiled to herself at how alike the two of them could be sometimes without them realising it. Nathan was the one wanting to check on Lucas. The youth's concern for another person despite his own current fears and problems was very touching.

* * *

After leaving Doctor Westphalen and med-bay, Lucas did head for the mess hall, but instead of getting something more substantial, he settled on one of the new tubs of ice-cream that Krieg had procured. The flavour of choice tonight was boysenberry. He took the container and a scoop back to his cabin to consume it in peace.

He finished tub, but made a mental note to let Ben know that it wasn't one of his most favourite flavour choices. Next time he would choose something else.

For the remainder of hours of the night, Lucas went about examining the coding from Miguel's work station. Identifying where it was missing and carefully rewriting it. At about one a.m. the Bridge itself was virtually deserted. Katie Hitchcock was the Commander on duty, but she must have been carrying out her duties elsewhere for a short time, and he was able to successfully upload the newly written code before she returned.

It was well after two a.m. before he had finished and retired to his bed, attempting to sleep, but forgetting about turning on his music. For the first few hours, he had managed to gain some undisturbed rest, but all of that changed as the clock was turning over and displayed 4.47a.m.

Lucas suddenly sat up in his bed, with his heart racing, rubbing vigorously at his lower arms and trying to calm down his nerves. He had removed the cotton ball from the blood sample site hours ago, and the bruise to the back of his hand was no longer painful to touch. Thankfully he had not made enough noise or yelled loud enough for anybody to hear outside of his cabin.

Tonight the reason for the nightmare he had experienced seemed simple enough; probably triggered by the needle from Kristin and the reaction that had surfaced. The images plaguing his mind were vivid, and instead of her gentle hand on his arm, he could feel himself being forcibly held down by someone that he didn't know. A stranger. By a face that he didn't recognize and lurking in the shadows without revealing themselves.

His arms had been restrained, and no matter how desperately he had pulled, twisted and tried to free himself, his bonds just dug more painfully into his skin. He hadn't been able to move, but this time it hadn't been his father who was responsible. In this nightmare, he had been able to sense his father, and then standing nearby and watching the whole procedure, nodding his head. Lawrence Wolenczak had been giving consent for what was happening to him, and allowing it to continue unabated. Nobody had been able to hear his relentless pleas for help or his hoarse screams of pain.

Thirty minutes later, he was sitting by the moon pool, having escaped his cabin, but not the nightmare. Choosing instead to spend some quiet time with Darwin, trying to push away what he had dreamed and felt.

* * *

Nathan Bridger was currently awake just before the commencement of his shift on the Bridge, pleased with the restful night's sleep he had gained. He was dressed and about to leave his quarters when he heard a knock at the door.

Opening it, he was surprised at who was standing on the other side. “Good Morning,” he greeted with a smile. “You are the last person I expected to be around this time of day.”

“Morning,” Lucas said in return, pleased to see that the Captain looked refreshed and ready to start the day. “I just came by to ask for your permission about something.”

“Oh, you did?” Bridger said, gesturing for the teenager to enter. “Come on in. Is everything alright?”

“Fine,” came the one word answer without any further embellishment.

Taking a closer look at the boy, he couldn't help but notice that there was a look on his face that showed just how _'not fine'_ he was feeling.

“Talk to me, I am here to listen to anything you have to say,” Nathan said, as he tried to coax out the underlying reasons behind his downcast mood and the cause for his tired expression.

The teenager was rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet, giving away his inability to stand still for more than a few seconds. All the classic signs of having so much to say, but not being able to find the right words when he opened his mouth.

Lucas thought for a moment about telling him about his nightmare, but chickened out at the last minute. “I wanted to work on the holographic program this morning in your quarters if you didn't have any objections.”

“No objections at all about that, you don't even need to ask,” Bridger answered.

“It would be weird if I didn't ask,” Lucas admitted, dropping his gaze away from the man. He could see that the Captain had guessed at something bothering him.

“I just wanted a few hours to myself. To work quietly, away from prying eyes.”

“I guess I can understand you wanting to do that,” Nathan said in sympathy, understanding that a lot of matters were still on his mind with no real resolution in the near future. The two of them had discussed this very recently.

“Thanks, it won't be all day,” Lucas promised. “A few hours before I start on those door locks for Commander Ford.”

“How about I come back here when I can take a break, and you can show me what you have been working on?” the Captain offered in compromise. Hopefully by participating in a demonstration, the boy may be willing to open up more by that time.

“That would be great,” Lucas said with the first sign of a smile this morning. “I have some really cool ideas in mind that are going to blow your socks off,” he added with enthusiasm.

Bridger smiled at the teenager's spontaneous and vibrant vocabulary. He found himself still getting used to hearing some phrases, and what the meaning behind each of them was.

The topic of conversation had switched very quickly from being about him, to his work and Nathan could see the immediate change to his demeanour, but saw it as one of the coping mechanisms the teenager was used to employing.

Lucas shuffled over to the middle of the room, sat down at the desk for the holographic, avoiding putting too much pressure on his right hip, and preparing to get started. He had brought with him some writing material, including some notes he had made, a pen and his headphones.

Bridger headed for the door, turning around and watching the teenager settle into his work. He would definitely come back and make time for Lucas today no matter how many glitches they were still trying to solve on-board.

He closed the door to his cabin, but shook his head with a grin. With the headphones clearly in place and now in use, he doubted Lucas would even notice that he had left.

Nathan had missed dinner the previous evening, so before he headed to the Bridge, he intended on having breakfast first.

* * *

On the Bridge of the SeaQuest, Miguel Ortiz had started his day shift approximately half an hour earlier. He was slowly tracking and following three W.S.K.R.'s that were currently travelling outside SeaQuest.

“Commander Ford,” Miguel called out, signalling for the man to approach his station.

“What is it Ortiz?” Jonathan enquired. He was expecting Captain Bridger to join him within the next hour or two to continue their management and fixing of the glitches.

“I just wanted to report to you that my station is working much better this morning. The little problems that I was noticing yesterday when working are no longer happening,” Ortiz stated.

“Are you sure?” Ford said in complete surprise, wanting to double check. Lucas had mentioned about informing himself and Katie Hitchcock about what he had found and that the upload had been successful. But he hadn't spoken to the teenager since he had left the Bridge with Krieg.

“Running smooth and none of the problems that I was able to identify yesterday before lunch,” Ortiz confirmed as the Commander looked intensely over the control panel.

“I never saw Lucas come back here on the Bridge yesterday, or even report that he had managed to rewrite the code. But he must have done so, and uploaded it again with a fair amount of secrecy,” Ford commented.

“I haven't seen Lucas anywhere near the Bridge this morning since I started my shift either,” Miguel recounted.

“Katie never mentioned to me about seeing him during her shift last night,” Ford replied. “Whatever he was able to do is certainly impressive in such a short space of time. I will inform Captain Bridger, I am sure he will be pleased. And when I see Lucas, I will definitely be thanking him in person.”

* * *

When Nathan entered the mess hall for breakfast, he was greeted with Kristin and Ben Krieg sitting together at the same table enjoying their own cup of coffee.

“Good Morning, Nathan,” Kristin greeted him warmly.

“Good Morning, Captain, Sir,” Ben said as he put down his fork, having finished his own breakfast.

“Good Morning, to the both of you. Lieutenant, you and I were both supposed to be reporting to med-bay to complete our blood tests,” Bridger stated. “Seeing as you have just eaten, that will have to be delayed until later in the day now.”

“Did you have to outright remind the Doc in front of me here, Sir?” Ben asked. “I don't know about you, but I was hoping to fly under the radar for as long as possible.”

“We cannot avoid it forever, Ben,” Bridger said with a laugh at the man's strong inclination towards avoidance.

“Don't worry, Lieutenant, I have a list of names that I will be hunting down today, yours and Nathan's are right at the top,” Kristin informed both of them.

“Hey, what about the kid, he is supposed to be donating too,” Ben pointed out.

“Lucas has already kept his word to me and provided a second sample last night,” Kristin told them.

“He did? Krieg asked, pulling on the collar of his jump suit, thinking he was quickly running out of excuses. “Willingly?” he added, only to have Kristin laugh at his stalling antics as much as the Captain.

“I didn't know Lucas came to see you last night,” Nathan said to Kristin. “He came to my quarters a short time ago, before I came in here. Something was definitely on his mind this morning and he still looks like he needs more sleep.”

“He is up this early already today?” Krieg interjected, hearing Bridger picking up that the teenager must have appeared tired to him.

“Did you ask him what the problem was?” the doctor prompted. “He told me last night that he had a question to ask you, but that it wasn't important or urgent.”

“A question?” Bridger returned. “I didn't seem him after we parted company yesterday afternoon from the Bridge.”

“Well Captain, I have it on good authority that you probably woke up with a stiff neck from sleeping in a chair,” Kristin teased. “According to my sources you were reading a novel in your quarters and dozed off.”

Bridger gave her a puzzled look about how she came to know about his odd sleeping position. Kristin must have come to his quarters at some point he surmised.

“I was feeling a little tired after swimming with Darwin. To waste some time before dinner, I was reading a novel and don't even remember falling asleep. This morning, I woke up with the book sitting on the desk beside me this morning all folded up neatly with my glasses on-top. So thank you for your kindness.”

“Not me, Captain,” she said with a knowing smile. “I didn't come by your quarters at all last night.”

“You didn't.......” he began to say but didn't finish the sentence, wondering who had reported to her about his unscheduled early night. “Who?”

“Lucas,” Kristin told him. “Before turning up down in med-bay, he told me that he had gone to see you, and found you asleep in your chair. He rescued your book and your glasses. He was worried about how tired you looked and was remarking to me how difficult it must be with your job as Captain.”

Krieg gave a small laugh, and a smile at hearing that the teenager had shared his concerns about the Captain. The friendship that was forming was definitely a benefit to the both of them, even if neither of them saw that for themselves yet. The relationship between the two of them was growing stronger each day, even though he didn't voice his opinion out loud.

Bridger was a little abashed at such comments, and touched by a kind gesture coming from the teenager. He had never felt Lucas' presence in the room the whole time.

“He didn't say a word about it to me this morning when we were talking. I am not sure if the question he did ask, was the same one or about something else entirely.”

“This morning, he turned up and appeared cautious, apprehensive even. I invited him inside, and thought he was going to say something, but his facial expression told me that he changed his mind right at the last minute,” Nathan described. “ I asked him if he was alright of course, and he just brushed the question aside with his usual _'fine”_ routine. He asked for permission to work in my quarters on the holographic program so he could spend some time away from _'prying eyes'_ as he put it. Wanting to spend some time on his own, which is becoming much too common place for my liking.”

“He seemed in fairly good spirits last night when we were talking,” Kristin shared, thinking back to what she had observed. “Being a teenager, he was probably too shy to say anything to you this morning that might embarrass you or him.”

“What did the two of you find to talk about?” Bridger asked, pleased to hear that Lucas and Kristin had shared a conversation, even if it was during giving blood.

“I was just finishing up the last of the people I had to interview for their medical files when he came to see me,” Kristin went on to explain. “Whilst I was taking the sample, I gave him the results of his earlier test about his blood type.”

“Were you able to confirm that his type is rare like he wrote down?” Bridger asked.

“I can confirm that his blood type is quite rare: AB-, one of the rarest across the United States,” she repeated to the two of them. Lucas had already given her permission to share certain parts of his medical history, and she deemed this important enough.

“How rare is it?” Ben asked, with concern of his own creeping in what she had found out. He could see the same question reflected on Bridger's face as they both waited for her to continue.

“Only a small number of people in the general population have the same blood type as our young friend. The statistics from any respectable medical doctor, report that less than one percent of people have that blood type. As I told Lucas, my best estimate would be approximately 0.6 percent. Less than one in one thousand people. And for a number of years, that number has been steadily decreasing.

“So what does that mean for his long-term health?” Bridger wanted to know. “Or even right now that he is living here amongst this crew. We have to prepared for any emergency situation or unforeseen circumstance that may occur with an outcome that is totally out of our control.”

“As I explained to Lucas, there are a number of precautions that I would suggest as the best course of action that we can take right now. Firstly, getting him to donate some of his own blood so that it can be made available at any time.” Kristin answered. “It can be stored here safely, and accessed if the need ever arises.”

“Other people who have this type lead completely normal lives and don't need to see the inside of a hospital or a doctor any more frequently than any other person,” Kristin went on to explain further. “Don't be alarmed now just because we do have this new information, because it doesn't mean we need to be worried unnecessarily.”

“I also told him about the blood sample that he provided, being able to help tell me his immunisation status, thus preventing him requiring shots that he doesn't require. With the lack of records about him, we really need to narrow that down. There is no other way of telling how much effort his parents put into those protections when he was younger.”

“I can take a guess at what his reaction to these suggestions were,” Krieg accurately predicted.

“I believe his choice words were along the lines of _'blood-sucking vampire'_ and refusing to become a human pin cushion,” she recalled. “His answer to the idea of gaining donations from a hospital or blood bank in case he ever needs it, was not much better. Other than that, his injuries are healing as expected without any complications.”

Ben and Bridger both laughed at Lucas' vocal objections, but quietly thankful that they had such an experienced doctor on hand like Kristin. Luckily she had insisted on doing these extended background checks as part of her own record keeping, or they may never have found out about his blood type being rare until a problem cropped up.

“Lucas has signed the consent form to complete a search pertaining to any medical records that may exist about him,” Doctor Westphalen told them. “I assured him that I would keep him informed if any information was found. He admitted to not being sure about wanting hear about any results.”

“I did notice the reaction he has to needles or injections that he previously warned me about,” Kristin revealed. “I suspect such a noticeable flinch may be the result of a bad memory. Someone who was less experienced in the medical profession may have frightened him or hurt him when he was younger. That is only an educated guess on my part at this point.”

“I sincerely hope you are wrong about that,” Bridger replied to her reasoning, not liking the idea at all that even more bad memories lurked within the boy's subconscious. He already had enough of those to last a lifetime.

As the conversation slowed between them, the head chef, Don, approached the table, carrying a coffee pot and clearing dishes from the table in front of them.

“Good Morning, Captain,” he said to Bridger. “Ma'am, and Krieg. I hope you all had a pleasant breakfast?”

“It was fine thank you,” Nathan answered for himself. “No more coffee for me please, I need to make a start to the day before Jonathan comes looking for me.”

“What happened to our young friend this morning?” Don questioned. “I didn't see him at all this morning. Actually I didn't see him here in the mess hall yesterday evening either.”

“You mean he didn't eat last night or this morning?” Krieg piped in, feeling a little guilty that he hadn't kept up his end of the agreement. “I did arrange to meet him in here for dinner last night, but I got caught up with Tim and Miguel and a few other crew members in the recreation room. I didn't get back here myself.”

“Lucas told me that he was headed here after he left med-bay last night for something to eat,” Kristin stated. “He mentioned about getting caught up in his own work. Perhaps he grabbed one of those faster options you have stored in the kitchen?” she offered as an alternative explanation, hoping that he had kept his word and had eaten something.

“I spoke to him already this morning, but the subject of breakfast or what he had for dinner wasn't brought up,” Nathan reported. “I didn't make it in here myself for dinner either. I will check with him as soon as I can, and chase him in here if he hasn't eaten today,” he with assurance.

“No problem, Captain. He might be a little shy until he finds his feet around here, but he shows great manners in the way he conducts himself,” Don replied. “Compared to some of the people I have come across in here this week who claim to be adults, he is much more friendly.”

“Thank you for that, Don, though I think he would deny anything if confronted outright,” Bridger said with a smile. It was pleasing to hear these general positive observations from other crew members about the teenager.

“I am headed towards the Bridge now, but I will check up on him the first chance I get,” Nathan said directly to Kristin. “I told him I was going to spend some time with him today after seeing how downcast his mood was this morning. I caved into giving him the solitude he was craving, but will see if he will talk to me some more then.”

“I have a launch arriving in the docking bay at any time with my name on it,” Krieg informed them. “I will find you both later.”

Ben and Kristin got up from the table along with the Captain, intending to attend to their own duties for the day.

* * *

On the Bridge, Commander Ford had just finished reporting to the Captain about the glitches with Miguel's work station being solved over-night. The two of them were interrupted from talking further with the sound of fast approaching footsteps from Ben Krieg.

The lieutenant came bursting through the two large dome doors in a rush, but quickly came to a halt with a disapproving look from Ford about his rash and impetuous arrival.

Lieutenant Krieg, next time you enter here in such a manner, I will put a _'do not run'_ sign up at the entrance, just for your benefit,” Ford chastised. “This is a U.E.O. sanctioned vessel, and as such, I expect you to behave in an appropriate manner. I expect you to adhere to the notion that there will be no running, skipping or jumping when coming onto the Bridge. Do I make myself clear?”

O'Neill and Ortiz couldn't help but hide snickers of laughter at the Commander's words to Krieg. Bridger had a hard time hiding his own smirk in front of Jonathan, but knew that the man expected a lot from his senior crew members.

“Yes, Commander Ford,” Ben answered. “I only came in here to tell the Captain something important. Honest. Give me a minute and I will be out of your hair again, I promise.”

Ford was about to say something to Krieg again, but then closed his mouth, thinking that being eager was just part of the man's nature. He allowed the manner to drop for now as Ben spoke directly to the Captain about why he had been running in the first place.

“Sir, I came to inform you that the furniture pieces you ordered have arrived on the launch. I have two members from the maintenance crew currently taking them to your quarters, ready for assembly,” Krieg reported.

“Thank you, Lieutenant,” Bridger replied. “Let us both go and see if we cannot give them a hand to put them together. Commander, you have the Bridge for a few minutes. I will return.”

“Aye, Sir,” Ford responded with gratitude, silently thanking the Captain for stepping in and taking Krieg with him and keeping him occupied.

Bridger and Ben made their way towards the Captain's quarters, talking idly about a number of casual topics, which included what other stock and supplies that were arriving on the launch together with the furniture pieces.

The two maintenance personnel that Krieg had instructed to move the large boxes, were carrying out those instructions. One of them was currently knocking on the Captain's door and waiting respectfully for an answer. Neither of them had the opportunity to meet the new Commander of the SeaQuest.

Lucas was still wearing his noise cancelling headphones, and listening to his loud music through them. With his concentration squarely on the small screen in front of him, he didn't hear the rapping on the door.

“Do you think we should go inside?” Gary Stewart asked the crew member assigned with him. He still wasn't entirely happy with Ben for giving them both the order in the first place. Usually they had to unload cargo from the launches, but it was supposed to be Krieg's job to do anything else with it after that.

Adjusting his grip on the large box at his feet, and looking down at his watch, the second maintenance guy, Andy Graham wasn't inclined to be as cautious. Yes they were standing outside the Captain's quarters, but he wasn't about to change how he worked just because it was the guy who commanded the vessel.

Without waiting further for an response, Graham turned the handle on the door and pushed it open widely, so the large boxes could be hauled inside. Both he and Gary had dragged the first large rectangular cardboard box inside. Both of them looked at each other curiously when they only thing they saw was some kid sitting at the small desk half way across the room. He hadn't even heard them them come in.

“Hey kid,” Andy called out, trying to gain Lucas' attention. Neither of them had seen this young person on-board before, or knew what he was doing in here now.

Bridger and Ben reached the Captain's quarters, but were both surprised to see the door fully open. One large box was sitting where it had been left.

“I told those guys to wait outside,” Krieg started to say. Just as he began repeating what his instructions had been, the two of them heard a startled exclamation of pain coming from Lucas.

“Who are you kid? Does the Captain know you are in here, playing in his quarters?” Graham questioned dubiously, finding himself talking to the back of the boy's head.

After a few moments passed without receiving a response, “I don't appreciate being brushed aside by smart alecks,” he added, taking a step towards the teenager and deciding to take a more direct approach as he spoke. He convinced himself that the brat was deliberately choosing to ignore him.

“Hey! Get your hands away from me! What is your problem?” the teenager yelled out testily, jumping to his feet too quickly and shoving the offending hand away that had struck him. He was grimacing at the brief fiery ache from his hip that resulted and rubbing at his right shoulder as he took a few evasive steps backwards away from the chair. He didn't know who either of them were, and he was displaying the classic signs that came with not reacting well to strangers being too close.

Neither Andy or Gary heard the Captain or Krieg enter the room and stand directly behind them. They did see a very unhappy Lucas standing away from the desk he had been working and sitting at. His headphones were down around his neck with no sound coming from them.

“What is going on in here?” Bridger asked, standing with his hands on his hips in a demanding stance, able to see for himself that Lucas was trying to get out of their reach. His whole body language was objecting loudly to someone being inside his personnel space.

“These two idiots came in here without me being able to hear anything behind me, and scared the life out of me. One of them decided to punch my sore shoulder for no reason and without any warning whatsoever.” Lucas accused hotly. “I don't even have a clue who they are, the door was closed,” the volume of his voice increasing.

“There are better ways to go about gaining my attention,” he turned and pointed out to the two strangers.

“Are you alright, Lucas?” Nathan asked, as he moved to stand protectively beside the teenager, and giving the two men a scathing look. The fact that they took it upon themselves to use physical contact to anyone on-board, without provocation did not sit well with the Captain.

“I am fine, Captain,” he said tersely, keeping his answer short and his eyes sharply on the two men. He had no intentions of letting it show that he had allowed their condescending attitude to get under his skin.

“Captain?” Stewart squeaked out, not wanting to believe that they had just ticked off the main man in charge.

“Captain Nathan Bridger,” he formally introduced himself, causing the two men to snap to attention, and give dutiful salutes. He could see from the expressions on their faces, about the huge error in judgement they deemed themselves to have made. But it was also clear that at least one of them was more interested in laying blame than accepting responsibility.

Gary Stewart may have been ready to show remorse towards the teenager and the Captain. However, Andy Graham's all too casual attitude in admitting he had done wrong was also noticeable to Bridger and Ben.

“And you two gentleman are?” he questioned, waiting for them to provide their names.

“Seamen Andy Graham and Gary Stewart, Sir,” Krieg informed Bridger immediately.

“I told you guys to wait outside until I got here, and that I would help you bring everything in here and put it together,” Ben directed at the two men.

“We already knocked on the door and waited, nobody heard us,” Gary proclaimed in their defence, he couldn't explain why Andy had taken the extra step of startling the kid. Patience probably wasn't one of his strongest traits in the time they had known each other.

“I didn't know that the U.E.O. was now hiring kids who have dropped out of high school, Krieg,” Graham openly taunted with sarcasm dripping from his voice as he looked over at the teenager.

“This is Lucas, he fixes our computers around here,” Ben told them, getting really frustrated along with the Captain on behalf of their youngest crew member. “He has more right to be in here than you ever will. He is welcome any time and doesn't need to spell out his movements to people like you,” he added with an edge to his words.

“I was working in here with the Captain's permission,” Lucas shot back, unimpressed with the guy trying to talk down to him like some juvenile delinquent. He felt like he was having to explain himself yet again about what his purpose was of being on-board to people he had never met before. Except in this case, Ben had stepped in first.

“Seems like Mr Cooper has been giving lessons before his departure up-world, Sir,” Krieg said, hating that Lucas had to keep justifying where he was and what he was doing.

“Yes, it unfortunately it certainly does,” Bridger agreed with disapproval. He was very dissatisfied that once again he was going to have to rely on his Second-In-Command to hand out sanctions to members of his crew that didn't get the message about how to treat other crew members. Keeping his distance due to a perceived conflict of interest.

“I don't want to be in here any longer,” Lucas declared, starting to close his notebook and preparing to leave. “I have lost all my concentration now.” Whilst he appreciated their efforts, he felt embarrassed that the Captain and Ben had to say anything at all.

“No, no, these two are leaving, not you,” Bridger quickly responded, shaking his head.

Turning towards Lucas, with his facial expression and voice changing entirely to one of kindness. “Please stay, I want us to talk,” he pleaded.

Lucas glanced back at the Captain and saw the genuineness to the man's request, nodding his head in agreement. His hip was aching, so he sat down on the chair, still slowly packing up his work. He did have something important to ask the Captain, and decided now was the time to do it, once it was just the two of them.

“Please bring the rest of the boxes in here, and when you are done you can both accompany the Lieutenant, and report to Commander Ford,” the Captain ordered, not wanting to hear any objection.

“Mr Krieg, once you are finished accompanying these two clowns, come back here, and you and I will put these furniture pieces together, without their interference.”

“Yes, Sir,” Ben answered, sensing that the man wanted to talk to the teenager without the audience.

Bridger pulled out his PAL communicator, “Commander Ford,” he hailed.

“Yes, Captain,” Ford replied through his own corresponding device.

“I have two crew members who will be reporting to you in about half an hour, escorted by Lieutenant Krieg, once they have completed their current assignment,” Bridger conveyed. “They will be providing you with a written statement in relation to their infractions in my quarters. I want them to be part of the first ' _volunteers'_ as part of the new mandatory program that we are putting into place for all personnel.”

Stewart and Graham were about to voice the unfairness they felt at being reported for not doing very much, but the hardened and stern expression on the Captain's face made them think twice. Perhaps Ford would be more willing to hear their side and see what they did as minor. Neither of knew who this Cooper fellow was that they were being compared to.

“Understood, Sir,” Jonathan answered, and he could hear the Captain's voice signalling his displeasure and that these men would have no choice but to comply, whoever they were.

Ben knew that the Captain would be counting on him to give a full report to Ford, and how the incident involved Lucas being on the receiving end of some petty comments and unwanted physical contact. They wouldn't get the same sanctions or punishments as Cooper, but Bridger would be wanting the Commander to emphasis to them that Lucas was a part of the crew. Common courtesy and respect were expected towards him whilst he was on-board just as much as anyone else, regardless of position or rank.

“Let's go you two,” Krieg instructed, pointing the men towards the door. “I will be back as soon as I can, Sir.”

“Lucas, I will catch up with you later too,” he added in a brighter tone of voice.

* * *

The teenager gestured goodbye to Ben and watched the trio leave the room. He let out a disgruntled sigh of his own that he had been holding back until the door was fully closed.

“It is going to be like that for a while around here,” he said in assumption. Yes he understood how it looked to most of the adults with him being on-board. He had told himself that on that first day when he ran into Cooper.

“I am sorry you still have to put up with behaviour like that,” Bridger said to him with sincerity. “That is not how I like any of my crew to behave. Things are going to change around here, trust me that the right procedures are being put into practice. Crew members are going to have to become familiar with them adapt to what I expect from them.”

“I didn't hear them come in them, honest,” Lucas offered a second time in explanation. “It was surprise more than anything when that guy touched my shoulder. I can ignore anything they have to say about me. I was making a decent amount of progress until they showed up.”

The teenager believed that the Captain was experienced enough to deal with incidents that cropped up and was looking out for his best interests because he felt responsible whilst he was living on SeaQuest. But if he wanted to be totally honest, he didn't want to be on the receiving end of people's constant opinions and unwelcome scrutiny until that happened.

“You know you can come into my quarters, any time. Even when I am not in here,” Bridger said to him. “Think of it as a better alternative to hiding inside the air-conditioning vent in Ben's room. In case you are looking for a quiet place to work or just to get away from everybody in general.”

A small smile of appreciation showed on Lucas' face, looking away from the Captain momentarily, but pleased that someone partially understood his need to be on his own at times. Or at least respected it, even if they didn't fully get the reasons why.

“Thanks, I will remember that,” he said in a quiet voice, as he looked up at Bridger and was pleased that it was just the two of them talking. He silently really liked these opportunities.

“Do you want me to stick around long enough to help you and Ben put your new furniture together?” Lucas asked. “Although I cannot say I have much experience with this flat pack stuff,” he admitted.

“No you don't need to do that, the two of us will be sufficient. Make sure you call by later to see what it looks like once it has been assembled correctly and positioned where I want it,” Bridger offered.

“Yeah, I might just do that,” Lucas replied casually, not giving any real commitment. “I wish there was a way of getting the U.E.O. to find some better fitting furniture for my oversized foot locker.”

Bridger laughed at the comparison to how small his cabin was, and thought it was a fitting description. Neither he or Jonathan had found a reasonable solution to his accommodation problem yet. “What would you be hoping to get?” he inquired out of curiosity.

“Getting rid of that bunk bed would be a huge start, and getting a softer mattress. Nothing too drastic,” Lucas answered.

“I will have a chat to Ben and see what he can find,” the Captain gave in promise. “I did speak to Commander Ford about finding you a bigger room on-board, but the options for moving you anywhere else are fairly slim for the time being.”

Lucas got up from the chair to strength his hip, and wandered over to the bookshelf at the back of the room, perusing the titles without comment. He walked around a little more, taking in a few other nooks where Bridger had placed a few personal items on display.

“See anything that interests you in particular?” Nathan, watching the boy's face to see if any one piece drew his attention.

The teenager stopped walking for a minute, and looked back at him, “No, sorry. You probably think I am just being too nosy,” he said with a grin.

“Not at all. I have a few more items hidden away in boxes that I haven't had the chance to unpack yet,” Bridger stated. “They help stop the place from looking too impersonal.”

“Why put them out on display like this? To remind you of home or what you are missing by being trapped down here, under the waves?” Lucas asked.

“No, not really. Do I miss home? Difficult to answer that. The ocean has always been a part of me, long before I had a family and lost them again,” the Captain explained. Each of these pieces has its own story to tell. Not just about its own cultural origins, but about where I was at that particular time in my life when I discovered or obtained it.”

“That is really neat,” Lucas commented, seeing the nostalgia written across his face. The man really did know where each piece came from and the history behind them.

“Well, I have enjoyed our little chat, but since I have packed up in here, I better move onto the next project,” the youth said. “I have been promising Commander Ford since yesterday to work on the door locks, but have been doing other stuff instead. That should take me through until lunch time.”

“Did you have breakfast this morning?” Bridger asked. “Kristin, Ben and I all missed seeing you in there, and none of us made it to the mess hall for dinner last night.”

“Last night, I settled for one of those new tubs of ice-cream that Krieg got, but I cannot say that the flavour I chose was one I would choose again,” Lucas informed him.

Bridger was a little relieved that he had eaten something, even if it was only ice-cream. His thought the unspoken suspicion about him missing breakfast would remain just that, until the teenager spoke again.

“I will grab lunch a little later,” Lucas promised. “I didn't feel very hungry this morning, so I didn't bother. Not even with coffee,” he added. He didn't want to admit to the Captain how early he had been up this morning, or the reasons behind turning up at his door early this morning.

“Make sure you do,” Bridger said briefly, but choose not to say any further about missing meals. The atmosphere between them had relaxed substantially in a short space of time, and he didn't want to spoil that.

Lucas gathered his notebook and was about to leave when he remembered the question from the night before.

He stopped walking, and turned back to the Captain, trying to find the right way of wording his question.

“Something the matter?” Bridger asked, recognizing that he was deciding whether to ask about something specific or not.

“No, I wanted to ask you a question. For a few days now, and haven't really found an easy way of doing it,” the teenager replied candidly.

“Ask away, that is what I have been telling you to do,” Nathan encouraged.

“Yeah I know, but this is a little different for me this time around,” Lucas said, his voice giving away how much he was hesitating. He almost changed his mind, wanting to choose another day to do it. Finally he plucked up enough courage.

Bridger was prepared to give him as long as he needed, and could see the inner struggle playing out on his features. The boy still looked tired too, so that didn't help but cause his concern to grow a little about what he was finding so difficult to ask.

“When my father.......,” he started, but then stopped abruptly. “Everything about being placed here under the ocean at the last minute happened so fast,” he said, looking down at the carpeted floor. “And then with others finding out about..........,” but he didn't finish that sentence either.

Bridger understood that bringing up any subject pertaining to his father or admitting to the abuse they had discovered was a very painful one for the teenager.

Forcing himself to take a deep breath and let it out again, and just to get it over with, he tried again. “I have a couple of friends. Two in fact, that had been there for me when not a lot of other people couldn't or haven't been,” he said, now looking up at the Captain.

“They are my very best friends, and I trust them with my life,” Lucas revealed, playing his hands as he continued speaking. “I used to keep in contact with them as much as I could, even though that wasn't always possible. I wanted to ask with your permission, if I could contact them at some point. Mainly to let them know where I am currently living.”

“Of course you can,” Bridger declared, but not fully understanding why he was so nervous about contacting anyone. This was the first time he had even mentioned having friends who cared about him. That was a very positive thing in his eyes. The boy had told Kristin that he didn't have regular contact with any other family members.

“Really?” Lucas said, giving a smile of relief that the Captain hadn't completely turned down the idea.

“Yes, really,” Bridger repeated, but still seeing the apprehension and saddened to think that Lucas had felt it necessary to ask in the first place. Whoever they were, if they had gained Lucas' trust, then they must be quite special ' _friends'_ indeed. His own curiosity was growing.

“My father doesn't know that much about them, or the help that they have given me in the past. And I want to keep it like that for as long as possible, for their safety,” Lucas stated, and didn't divulge any further details about names or who these secret friends were.

“I will talk to Tim O'Neill when I leave here and tell him that you have my permission to contact them through a secure channel at any time, when you are ready,” Bridger said, maintaining eye contact to convey his full co-operation.

“Thanks, that really means a lot to me,” Lucas said with genuine gratitude. “I will tell you more about them another time,” he offered as a token gesture, preparing to head to the door and leave.

Watching the teenager walk away, Bridger was convinced that none of them would hear about these _'best friends'_ until Lucas felt it was safe enough to do so. And it was plain to note that he was more worried about maintaining their anonymity from Lawrence Wolenczak than his own safety.

* * *

After leaving the Captain's quarters, Lucas headed to his own cabin to collect the tablet that Commander Ford had provided to him, and his own electronic tool that was stashed away. He continued onto the mess hall, entering and taking a bottle of juice out of the new fridge.

Moving into the corridor not far from Ben's cabin, he had to decide which door lock to work on next. What he had not thought enough about beforehand, was his current inability to bend his leg into a comfortable position to able to sit on the floor. One of the rooms nearby had a stool which he tried using for a short time, but the bottom of the legs were too uneven on the grated floor.

He had to settle for standing up against the opposite wall in the corridor, which wasn't a really productive position for any length of time. Lucas persevered as long as possible, trying to keep focused on the task at hand. The first lock of the day took approximately the same amount of time as Krieg's door before the algorithm extracted the code, and he was able to record it on the tablet. It was when he moved onto the second lock that he started to notice the same people moving back and forth down the corridor.

Lucas couldn't shake the distinct feeling that he was being watched. He wasn't ware that the small network of crew members had been present on the Bridge when Ben Krieg arrived with the two men reporting from maintenance. They had all listened to Krieg's version of events and were just as dismayed as the Captain to learn that a small percentage of the crew were causing trouble for the teenager.

After hearing the report, Ford now understood the edge he had heard to Bridger's voice through the PAL communicator. Once the men had received details of their impending sanctions, Ben had returned to assist the Captain to help assemble his furniture.

Collectively, those senior crew members within Bridger's small network, decided to keep an eye out for Lucas as their own duties allowed. Using their breaks for lunch and their respective assigned tasks as an attempt to mask their intentions. Unfortunately, the teenager was able to see right through what they were doing.

Katie Hitchcock had walked past Lucas' position at least twice in the past hour, while he was waiting for his device to decipher the next electronic code. She had nodded her head in friendly appreciation for what he was doing. But when she did it a second time, Lucas couldn't help but feel that she was trying to get a closer look at what he was doing.

Katie wasn't the only culprit either, as the teenager had spotted Commander Ford not long after her. He had asked in passing if Lucas needed anything and casually checking on how things were progressing. Jonathan was told that things were progressing rather slowly unfortunately, but that nothing was needed at the moment thank you.

Lucas had almost burst out in laughter at the attempts that Tim O'Neill and Miguel Ortiz were making to check up on him. Maintaining a straight face at their horrible spying skills had definitely been a challenge. He knew they meant well too and were probably under orders from Ford or the Captain, but everybody constantly hovering around him, was becoming annoying.

A second passing by his position by Miguel and Tim, and Lucas couldn't shake that awkward feeling, even though he knew they had the best of intentions. Their efforts were too obvious and disjointed. So the total number of door locks that he managed to work on before lunch, remained a disappointing two.

Lucas decided to pack everything away until later that night, when he would be able to work uninterrupted. He headed to the mess hall and grabbed a can of soda and a box of noodles, intending to head back to his cabin for some major down town. He needed to find something to occupy his brain for a few hours.

He was passing through a section of the boat where there were a number of computer terminals in use. He couldn't help but hear one of the crew members having trouble and complaining loudly to others standing nearby.

Since it was computer related, he stopped and attempted to offer help to the guy. “Can you tell me what the problem is that you are having?” he asked politely.

Kirk Murphy stopped his tirade long enough to look back with confusion at some skinny kid talking to him. He didn't know who the teenager was either. There was no way he was admitting needing assistance from anyone.

Commander Ford was on his way through the same area to talk to the Captain, when he came across the group of people gathered round, and noticed Lucas there in amongst the small crowd. He heard the boy ask what the trouble was with one of the computer's.

“Thanks, but no thanks sonny,” Murphy laughed, standing up to his full height in an attempt at intimidation. “Us big people will figure it out without needing help from a pipsqueak of a kid like you.”

After being on the receiving end of enough childish comments today, Lucas' own temper began to grow, “You ' _big people',”_ he parroted back, his irritation to the whole situation unmistakable, “Would be dangerous if you had a brain cell to share between you.”

“Why you little......,” the man retorted gruffly, trying to grab the front of the kid's shirt. The other crew members had managed to restrain him sufficiently in time to prevent an unprovoked altercation from breaking out that he would come to regret.

Lucas saw Commander Ford approaching, with a very displeased look on his face. The other people standing nearby, saw the Executive Officer and gave an immediate salute, knowing that he had witnessed the man's threatening behaviour and heard what was said to the young man. They were trying to distance themselves for taking any part in it.

“Lucas was only offering you assistance with your computer problem, Seaman Murphy,” Ford addressed him formally. He glanced over at the teenager and could see that he was no longer going to cop random abuse from anybody today. Jonathan couldn't really blame him for feeling that he had reached his limit.

“I was going to try and help him,” Lucas said toFord, his face flushed red. “But I am not hanging around and waste my time here, listening to jerks like him with that attitude. Way too many people here on-board are treating me like some annoying brat who doesn't know what he is talking about,” he added petulantly.

“When someone is ready to listen to my opinion, Commander, the problem he was describing as I came along, sounds like what I was explaining to you earlier. He was probably trying to link a personal device to the computer system on SeaQuest without it being checked for compatibility or viruses first,” he stated, but then turned and walked away in disgust before Ford could say anything in reply that would make him want to stay.

Half way back to his own cabin, Captain Bridger and Ben were coming in the other direction for lunch. They were about to stop and invite him to come along, but he didn't give them the chance.

Bridger and Ben exchanged concerned looks, and could see Lucas' was more than frustrated about something.

“I am totally _'done'_ with people for the day!” he declared angrily, storming right passed the two of them, not giving them any opportunity to talk.

* * *

Bridger strode purposefully back in the direction that Lucas has just come from, knowing that he had to find out the full version of what had happened. Ben came back with him, and it didn't take either them long to come across the group of crew members standing in front of Commander Ford.

Jonathan was speaking to one of the men in particular with an authoritative manner, but the other surrounding crew members had enough common sense to pay attention and take heed of what he had to say.

“What has been going on here, Commander,” the Captain asked in a no nonsense tone of voice. Salutes were given by the crew to their commanding officer, and they could see that he wanted a full and honest answer as to what had occurred.

“Good Afternoon, Sir, I can assume that you both just saw Lucas leave here fuming,” Ford turned and answered. “I was coming to see you about another matter entirely, when I got as far as here and stumbled right into this mess he found himself caught in, through no fault of his own.”

“He walked right passed the both of us with no intentions of stopping, if that is what you are asking,” Krieg replied. “The kid made it pretty clear that he doesn't want anything to do with the rest of the human race.”

“And I cannot say that I blame him,” Ford said in all seriousness. “He was offering to help this guy here with a computer problem, but all he got in return was Mr Murphy trying to pull some juvenile stand-over stunt.”

“You did what?” Bridger demanded, taking a step towards the man in question, daring the man to argue with him and waiting for him to own up to his indiscretions.

Murphy quickly back pedalled from any further outburst, looking suitably chastised at the Captain's displeased expression. The man remain tight-lipped and was refusing to offer any apology or suitable reason for his behaviour.

Jonathan Ford went onto explain exactly how he had witnessed the man's intimidation tactics and petty name calling. Bridger's frown deepened when hearing that Murphy had tried to grab a hold of Lucas forcibly when the teenager decided to deliver his own choice words in return to the man's taunts.

Krieg's own frustration was beginning to grow as well as he listened to Ford's version of events, but he wouldn't be able to step in on the teenager's behalf on this occasion.

Ford went on to tell Bridger what Lucas had said to him about crew member's considering him only as an annoying brat. The three of them understood that for the second time today, Lucas was having to defend his presence on-board.

“What would you like me to do, in relation to sanctions,” Jonathan asked, thinking that the Captain may need some time to make a decision.

Ben Krieg looked at Murphy and thought he recognized the department he was assigned to, and suddenly had an alternative suggestion of his own to put forth. “If I may, please, Captain,” he said with a slyness to his tone of voice.

Ford was about to interrupt, and take control of the man's punishment, but Bridger turned to Ben, and nodded for him to continue for a moment.

“You are part of the engineering crew assigned to Commander Katie Hitchcock, are you not?” Ben enquired, wanting to double-check first.

Murphy looked towards Ford, and then the Captain, and around at the others gathered around, knowing that he wasn't about to get the slightest amount of leniency. He had acted rashly, he could admit that now. _'All over some stupid kid they were all prepared to defend rather than accept his side of the story'_ , he thought to himself.

“Yes,” he said curtly to Ben.

“What was that, seaman?” Jonathan ordered, still not happy with the man's indifferent attitude, bordering on insubordination.

“Yes, Sir,” Murphy ground out to Ben, being of a lower rank, but hating that he had to address Krieg in a respectful manner.

Ben ignored the piercing stare he was receiving, and suddenly had a large grin on his face that puzzled both Ford and Bridger. “His punishment is very straight forward,” he began. “I think it is safe to assume that Lucas won't be offering his services or expertise any time soon, and rightfully so. Katie will have to come along and fix whatever was broken, adding to her already heavy workload. And he is already part of her department, so she won't be pleased to hear that a member of her staff was disrespecting anybody. She only needs to hear that it was Lucas.”

Murphy could be seen swallowing nervously at Krieg's mention of Commander Hitchcock being his superior officer.

“One thing we can all count on where Katie is concerned, is her dissatisfaction when the performance of one of her team is not up to her exacting standards,” Krieg said with a knowing chuckle. “Murphy here will be wishing either one of you were handing out his punishment rather than her. She has a long memory.”

“Been on the receiving end of Katie's wrath before, Krieg?” Ford asked with a grin of his own. He knew from working with Hitchcock how tough she was on herself and those under her leadership.

“Way too many times than I should really own up to,” Ben admitted with some level of regret of her desire for him to change and conform during their short marriage. On the surface she appeared every bit the beautiful, charming, career driven, and invaluable sub-mariner. But crossed her path, and you would never forget the experience.

Approaching footsteps from behind them made them all turn and see the very person they were discussing.

“Good Afternoon everybody,” Katie said pleasantly, as she joined the group, not having heard any of the conversation. Looking across at each person's face in turn, she immediately picked up that something was amiss. She could see one of her staff members in front of the Captain, and giving the impression of being guilty.

“Lieutenant, what is going on?” she immediately directed at her ex-husband over everybody else.

“See what I mean,” Krieg said with a knowing smirk. “Somehow, she naturally assumes that I am to blame first instead of the correct party involved.”

Ben turned to Murphy, “I do not envy your fate at all my friend, you have my sympathies.”

“Commander Hitchcock, I believe Mr Murphy here has some matters you and he are going to want to discuss,” Bridger informed her. “I expect your full report of recommendation for my review as soon as possible.”

“Yes, Sir,” Katie answered dutifully, but none the wiser about why she would need to be preparing a report for his approval.

“I will leave it up to you, Jonathan to tell her what happened here,” Bridger ordered.

“Aye, Captain,” Ford replied. “Let's go to your office to discuss it,” he suggested to Hitchcock. “The rest of you people heard what I had to say, and have your own work carry on doing. Dismissed.”

“Yes, Sir,” came the chorus of voices, as the small group scattered back to their own tasks.

“I will attend the Bridge as soon as I can, Commander,” Bridger said to Ford, wanting to speak to Ben first.

* * *

Ben knew what the Captain was going to ask. Both of them wanted to talk to Lucas if he would let them, but guessed that the battle had only just begun again. The teenager may not be so accommodating right now.

“I think the time has come to introduce some serious down time, Sir,” Ben suggested. “For him to be able to relax and enjoy some social time after everything that has happened today.”

“Anything is worth trying I suppose,” Bridger answered, thinking that perhaps Ben was the best person to try and approach Lucas first. Nathan could step in afterwards if he was unsuccessful or if Lucas was intending to be unco-operative.

“A movie night in the recreation room after dinner. Nothing too complicated or onerous, and only a few select people as part of the audience this first time,” Ben continued, describing his plan of action. “Lucas, myself, Tim, Miguel and you of course are invited too. I can provide the popcorn and drinks, and a title from my personal collection.”

“That sounds like a good place to start,” the Captain agreed in approval, hoping that the teenager would be at least willing to listen to Ben's idea. “Tell me if you need any assistance in setting up. Let's hope he agrees to attend.”

* * *

After returning to his small cabin, Lucas sat down at his small computer desk, the frustration and humiliation he felt oozing out of every pore. He was too wound up and could barely stand still in the one spot. He wanted to throw something violently across the other side of the room or punch something with his fist.

He ate half of the noodles before dumping the rest of container into the bin, his appetite evaporating. He drank from the soda and left the opened container on the table as he climbed up onto the top bunk. Doing it a little too fast, and paying the price with his stitches pulling at the sudden movement.

Darwin swam into view as his thoughts threatened to boil over, and his depressing mood deepening further. He gave the dolphin a smile that he didn't truly feel, and stared off into the blue water.

A moment later, a knock came on his hatch door. He didn't answer at first and was very tempted to tell the person on the other side that he wasn't accepting visitors for the rest of the day. A week, a month or even a whole year was more in line with the time frame he would prefer.

When Ben opened the door and poked his head inside, he was surprised, expecting it might have been Bridger instead. Ford would have reported the incident to him, and would want to talk no doubt.

“Please don't take this the wrong way, Ben, but I would rather be left alone right now,” he pleaded, barely managing to keep any residual anger out of his voice.

“I know,” Ben replied with complete understanding, entering the room and standing closer to the bed. When he had first knocked on the door, he thought about using humour and a few jokes to cheer the kid up, but looking at his friend now, he knew that it would have been in terrible taste.

Krieg had been expecting the boy to clam up and not want to reveal what on his mind, but he was quickly proven wrong when the teenager decided that he wasn't going to keep silent this time around. Whether it was Ben was standing there, willing to listen, or something else entirely he didn't know, but Lucas allowed his emotions to come to the surface.

Ben wanted to remove any notion of being backed into a corner or perceived threat that Lucas saw as forcing him to talk. Hearing him speak may give him a better idea on how the kid was coping, when recently he had been deliberately making it difficult for anybody to tell.

“You know, I am going completely out of my comfort zone, bending and trying to fit in around here as best I can. Especially when I didn't ask to be put here in the first place,” he began, refraining from raising his voice. “To help out people where I feel like I can so I don't go completely stir-crazy with boredom, only to keep getting doors slammed in my face. There is nowhere private to go or way of escaping out of this huge floating tin can!”

“Gary Stewart and Andy Graham will face sanctions from Commander Ford, and Bridger has already ordered Katie to recommend punishment for Kirk Murphy,” Ben told him, hoping it would bring him some solace to know that these men would be dealt with appropriately.

“Oh, well I am glad that someone even knows who these people are,” Lucas remarked with disdain. “Because here I am getting grief from perfect strangers without a clue of who they are. They think that I am some high school drop-out with nothing better to do with my time. People keep asking me what I am doing here on SeaQuest.”

“And to tell you the truth, I honestly don't have any idea about why than they do,” he finished irately, adding a touch of surrender that he still had no control over his life.

“The Captain and I, and others are doing our best to sort out people like that, before it becomes a problem,” Ben replied, knowing that any efforts to-date must be feeling pretty grossly inadequate to Lucas at this point.

“And that is another thing,” Lucas interjected with a new heated response, “How much I hate that you, the Captain, Ford or anybody else feels obligated in having to step in and fight on my behalf in the first place. That is not who I am or how I have done things before. And I don't like it one bit!”

Krieg realised that he was talking about having to rely on himself against his father. Ben wanted him to get rid of his pent up anger by venting, hoping it would provide the teenager with an outlet. Keeping negative emotions bottled up all of the time wasn't healthy.

He wanted to explain that it wasn't through obligation that any of them were prepared to prevent disrespect or unkind words being hurled at him. It had a little bit to do with them feeling guilty about finding out what he was experiencing at home. They were so desperate to stop it from happening on-board and stamp it out that they probably forgot that he had been fighting much bigger battles by himself his whole life. By stepping in and thinking they were doing good, they were eroding and taking away that strong independent streak that he had created and relied upon.

For the most part it was that they cared about him as a person, a member of this crew, and as a friend. That he wasn't a nobody, and that his hopes and dreams were just as important as the next person. That his life mattered. Those were difficult concepts for the teenager to believe or comprehend yet.

“Sorry if I am sounding selfish and like the spoiled brat that I keep getting told I am,” Lucas said, turning back towards the aqua tube, embarrassed that he had let go just now with his impassioned tirade. Ben didn't deserve to hear his rant about how unfair things were in his small corner of the world. He should have kept his mouth shut and curbed his tongue.

“I don't think that at all, Lucas. You have no need to offer any excuse to me, and you have every right to feel unappreciated,” Ben said truthfully, wanting to be able to say the right words. Accepting them being said about him was another matter entirely. “And for the record, I think you are far from being spoiled or a brat.”

Lucas turned to look at his friend, not wanting to offer any more conversation and trying to gain some shred of dignity, and giving a silent apology to Ben.

* * *

Lucas was finished talking and the anger he felt was beginning to leech out of him, leaving only an emptiness and the lack of positive vibes to offer his friend. He let out a slow tired sigh, leaning against the pillows situated behind him. He grimaced in discomfort as his stitches pulled in the wrong direction, slumping in defeat that this day had been one to forget.

“How about a chance of pace tonight?” he asked, changing the subject entirely and brightening his whole persona. He was determined to draw the kid out of his current funk.

The teenager could see that Ben wasn't about to allow him to wallow in self-pity too long. He sat up a little more and wondered what the man was cooking up “What do you mean?”

“I was planning on having the first of many social gatherings aboard SeaQuest,” Ben started to explain. “I haven't had the chance to organize one yet, and should have way before now. Tonight seemed just as good a time as any to have it.”

“Ben, I appreciate what you are trying to do.............,” Lucas replied, thankful for the man's efforts, but knowing that any kind of communal activity was far down on his wish list of priorities.

The moral officer was not going to be deterred though by his down-trodden mood, and stopped him from giving an outright refusal before he heard it in full. “I am having a movie night in the recreation room. Only a few people will be invited.”

“Who?” still not wanting to go, but the hopeful expression on Ben's face was chipping away at his rapidly crumbling exterior. The guy was trying to be a good friend.

“You, me, Miguel and Tim. And the Captain if he wants to join us,” Ben answered. “Some popcorn to nibble on, and some drinks supplied to wash it down with.”

“I suppose that would be okay,” Lucas said non-committally, “So long as it is not too many people.”

“By invitation only,” Ben assured him, knowing that the boy would change his mind about attending if there was going to be a larger crowd present.

“What movie will we be watching?”

“I will supply the movie from my personal collection,” Ben declared with all the airs of an experienced movie critic. “Something good I promise,” he added. He was pleased to see that the kid was at least opening up a little more to the prospect of spending time in a social atmosphere.

“I have a friend up-world,” Lucas began out of the blue, sharing a story with Krieg. “He has a grand-father who is considered by many to be quite eccentric. Talks to himself and inanimate objects quite often,” he revealed with a small laugh at such a memory.

“Who of us here doesn't from time to time,” Ben replied casually, recognizing another rare moment where the teenager was giving away information about himself. He continued to listen with great interest. This was the first time he had heard Lucas mention anything definitive about having a friend up-world.

“I have only met him once or twice. Known as Grandpa Ralph to everybody, even if they are not related,” he continued. He lives in some derelict old factory that has been converted, but there is this wall of shelving. Contained within them is one of the most breathtaking and enormous collections of old vinyl records from the 50's and 60's. Compact Discs full of bands and music artists from every era. People have probably not heard any of them played in a decade or two because they stopped making them. A wall of DVD's from every genre and Blu-ray disc's. The range and variety is an impressive sight to behold. I was only there one time long enough to browse.”

“Sounds like a fantastic collection,” Krieg commented. “I have quite a good one myself at my house, though probably not as extensive because I lack the space. More than half of it belongs to my father. Here on SeaQuest, anything that I have is stored in boring plastic boxes, that end up out of order. I have to continually sort through them to find anything worthwhile.”

“What are you planning to do now?” Ben asked, planning to give his friend some space before the event tonight. Secretly he was hoping that the kid would get some sleep, because he was looking rather tired. But he erred on the side of caution, not wanting to upset the apple cart or his improved mood by mentioning that out loud.

“For the next few hours, I don't want to do anything at all,” Lucas answered. “Nothing that requires me to think too long anyway.”

“I still have a few things to do for the rest of the afternoon,” Krieg stated. “I will meet up with you after dinner in the recreation room. No exact time, just when you decide to turn up,” he added, wanting to keep everything completely stress free. Even down to when to arrive.

* * *

For the remainder of the afternoon, Lucas had kept to his cabin. Not venturing out or doing any kind of work.

Ben had briefly told Bridger that he had a few other things to tell him concerning Lucas's mood and feelings about being on SeaQuest. But there were also things that he decided the Captain could learn for himself at another time. Not everything shared between friends had to be repeated or picked apart.

As the made the final preparations for the night with the bowls of popcorn, Tim and Miguel arrived as arranged. Ben had quietly spoken to them about Lucas not being completely convinced of attending. Some large cushions were settled along two large and wide sofa couches in the room, that faced the large viewing screen mounted on the wall.

Bridger had promised to be there, but had yet to arrive himself. Ben kept looking down at his watch, thinking that the kid had changed his mind. Five minutes later, Lucas ambled into the large room, pleased to see that there were only a few familiar faces like Krieg had said.

“Hey,” he greeted the other two men. “Where is everybody sitting?”

“Take your pick of a spot, Lucas,” Krieg replied, allowing him to choose his own seat.

Tim and Miguel said hello and kept the chatter to a few general statements. Ben had reminded them all that there were only one ground rule to enforce on nights such as this, and it was easy enough to follow. There were a few others for viewing baseball when it started, and games were being watched, but those would be explained when the season started.

For movie nights, there was to be no talking about anything work related when they gathered socially. The consequences for doing so would be of his choosing and at the very least, horribly embarrassing to the responsible party.

Miguel sat on the very end of one sofa, with Ben beside him, and then Tim on his right-hand side. The teenager chose the end chaise section of one sofa, placing two of the cushions against the back of the seat, hoping to provide some additional padding for his shoulder. The longer section of the couch would allow him to stretch out and alter the position of his sore hip without sitting directly on the bruising.

There was plenty of room between Tim and Lucas for the Captain to come and join them, and he hoped that his presence would go even further towards helping the teenager relax and enjoy the upcoming show.

On a smaller table in front of the sofas were a number of sodas and water bottles being kept ice cold. Three bowls of popcorn within easy reach, and plenty to go around. A number of different movie cases were also scattered on-top for browsing.

Lucas picked up a random case, and was quietly perusing the front cover, before turning it over and reading the summary on the back for what that particular movie was about. He selected a second movie case and did the same. He was silently telling himself that he hadn't seen any of them, but didn't want to spoil any of Ben's careful planning.

Miguel was the first to speak up, “So what did you choose for us to watch, Krieg?”

“You will have to watch to find out, Miguel, but it is a classic,” Ben gave cryptically. “Bobby and I used to watch this one years ago, so I am hoping that the Captain will be pleased with my choice as well,” hoping that the movie would appeal to more than one generation.

Lucas looked over the back of the couch towards the door, “I thought he would already be here when I came in. Where is the Captain?”

“He was talking to Kristin at dinner, I saw the two of them sitting together,” Ben answered. “He probably went to change into casual clothes now that his shift has ended.”

Lucas nodded his head and accepting Ben's explanation without any further comment.

“Sorry I am late, Ben,” Bridger apologised as he came in. “Great to see everybody here, including you Lucas. I got caught up with some last minute problems on the Bridge.”

“Ahem, there is no talking about work in here, Captain,” Ben warned as he adjusted the lighting with a remote control and darkened the room.

“Unless you want to be on receiving end of something embarrassing from Krieg,” Tim piped in, before picking up one of the sodas and drinking from it using a straw.

“Saved a seat for you there next to O'Neill and Lucas, Sir,” Ben stated. “You can make sure both of them stay out of trouble,” he added with a laugh. Tim and Miguel quickly joined in.

Lucas, however did not, but did exchange a small grin the Captain as he took up his seat. There was plenty of space for everybody, and nobody needed to be cramped too close together. The large sofas would easily accommodate another five or six people comfortably.

Bridger was about to ask Ben what the movie was going to be, but decided that it didn't really matter. For the next twenty minutes, the small group sat back and watched the casting credits roll onto the screen and the opening scenes.

For Lucas it very quickly became a completely different experience. What had started out as a casual, no pressure movie night, turned into one of shame as he quickly turned his face away from the screen. He was using one of the cushions to hide the fact that he had closed his eyes and didn't want to see any more. He didn't want the Captain, or anybody else knowing what it was doing to him internally. And it was taking a lot to maintain his exterior mask.

The sound of a fist hitting human flesh echoed in his mind, over and over again. It kept striking and striking, growing louder and louder in his ears.

Miguel and Ben were making a few idle comments to each other, and sharing a conversation. Tim O'Neill and Bridger were also talking about something, rather than paying full attention to the screen. With each of them temporarily distracted, none of them saw the distress on the teenager's features and how he was attempting to block out the images and sounds.

It was Tim O'Neill who briefly noted the teenager fidgeting and deliberately avoiding what was happening on the screen. He thought that the Captain was close enough to notice something was wrong. He knew Lucas would not appreciate him asking if he was alright out loud, even though it was clear he was upset.

Being seated on the end of the sofa and the room darkened, Lucas was able to quietly slip out from the room, without a word. He didn't want to ruin Ben's night.

Lucas needed to stand in the corridor for a moment and take a deeper breath to calm down his heart rate. Bad memories were surging up from his sub-conscious and assailing him from a number of directions. Sensory overload was making it difficult to distinguish between between the fictional world of a movie, and the very real one that he was trapped in under his father.

He walked down the corridor, away from the recreation room, looking over his shoulder to make sure that his absence hadn't been detected yet. He didn't want to go straight back to his cabin, because that would be the first place the Captain would come. He would have to come up with a plausible excuse to Bridger to explain why he left, and another apology to Ben.

Krieg had just finished sharing something funny with Miguel, before looking over at the end of the couch. The grin he had on his face vanished and turned into confusion when he saw the spot was now vacant.

“Where did Lucas go?” he asked, totally surprised to find him missing. He looked over his shoulder around the room, to check that he hadn't merely gotten up to help stretch his healing hip.

“He was here just a minute ago,” Bridger confirmed, silently berating himself for not watching closely enough. “I didn't even see or hear him leave.”

Tim O'Neill felt compelled to tell them what he had witnessed, “I don't think he was enjoying the movie very much, Krieg, even this early in.”

“What do you mean, Tim?” Ben questioned. “This is a great movie. A classic. I have seen it dozens of times. We could have switched to one of the other movies there on the table. Why didn't he say something about not liking it?”

“Yes, I know you told us, but think about what it was about,” O'Neill pointed out astutely. “A boxing movie. About people smashing their fists into other people's faces and bodies. Lucas had his head turned away, and was using the cushion to shield himself away from the noise.”

“After everything that we have found out about him and what his father has been doing recently, I don't think he was ready to see that one yet,” Tim added.

Ben felt like he had been sucker punched in the stomach. When did Tim O'Neill become a better judge of his friend being bothered about something than he was? What kind of friend did that make him? He should have played closer attention and picked up that those scenes in a movie would be a trigger.

Ben looked over at Bridger, feeling utterly ashamed and guilty that he hadn't given enough thought to the genre of the movie he chose, and what the subject matter was. “I am very sorry, Captain, I didn't even think.....,” he started to say in true apology. “I knew you were a boxer in your younger years because Bobby told me. He introduced that film to me in our second year at the academy together. I thought Lucas may enjoy that connection to you as well, and learn something about your past with your son.”

The truth was, perhaps Ben had been feeling a little too nostalgic. He wanted to share a good memory with the Captain about some of the normal everyday things that he and Bobby had done together. Lucas had faced enough unpleasantness first-hand today. And now without meaning to, he had gone and done the same thing. This whole night was supposed to be help him relax and come out of his shell. Not do the exact opposite.

Bridger was troubled to hear how the teenager had reacted to the movie. He suspected that Tim's observations were quite accurate about the anxiety caused. Lucas himself probably didn't know until it was too late. Not one of them could not have been predicted the outcome or the lasting impact, by simply watching a film.

Ben's heart had been in the right place, and he would not have played that particular title if he knew beforehand. Nathan was truly touched by Ben's attempt to bring up more happier times about Robert. He had used boxing as exercise and to maintain his fitness levels. Bridger had no idea that his son had told Ben about him being a boxer during his earlier naval career days.

“I will go and find him and make sure that he is alright,” Bridger assured them, contemplating whether he may need to go and find Kristin first.

* * *

Lucas was grateful for the distance of the recreation room to the science laboratories and he used it to his advantage, making his way along the grated floor. He was trying to decrease his speed with the length of each stride. His hip was aching from the forced pace, but he didn't stop until he reached the science areas and wandered in without raising anybody's suspicions.

Thankfully, this time of night, Kristin's staff were fewer in number, having finished their shifts for the day. There were a few people present, carrying out some minor experiments, and that is what he focused on. A few of the scientific staff noticed him nearby, but Doctor Westphalen had told them about giving him permission to observe.

The truth was that Lucas' mind was far from being on anything they were doing. He was trying to stop his nerves being on edge and wait for his heart rate to settle down. Inwardly, he was repeating the same mantra more than a few times; that his father couldn't reach him here on SeaQuest and wasn't anywhere close by like Bridger promised.

The teenager took one of the backless stools and sat on it on the opposite side of a large work bench. From this position, he could see what they were doing in silence.

He just about jumped out of his skin though, when a gentle hand from Kristin touched his good left shoulder.

“What are you doing in here this time of night?” she asked with a smile on her face, but could immediately see that something was amiss or not quite right.

Lucas turned to face her briefly, and made a half-hearted attempt to smile back, but quickly turned his attention back to her workers, swallowing the lump in his throat. He knew that she would pick up on his mood and nervousness. He wasn't capable of hiding it well enough at the moment.

Kristin had caught the thin line of a smile and noticed the darkening shadows that screamed of fatigue in his poor posture. His body language was speaking volumes too. The colour in his cheeks was slightly paler than normal. She was about to ask what was wrong, when he decided to speak first and prevent her from probing more.

“I came down here to find you and tell you about the database program you asked me about,” he informed her.

“What about it?” she answered with a question of her own, but doubted this was the real reason for his presence. She was grateful for anything he was doing for her, but wasn't going to allow him to sacrifice his health to impress her over some computer software.

“Yeah, it is almost finished. I should be able to give you a demonstration very soon of how it all works and show you and any staff you want shown how to use it and keep it updated,” he explained. There was a fair amount of truth to what he was telling her, it was almost finished. He planned to work on getting closer to its completion tonight.

“I am heading back to my cabin for the night in a few minutes,” he said in a quiet voice, hoping that would relay any concerns she had about him sleeping. He wasn't going to admit to her that sleep would not find him tonight. And his cabin provided the perfect sanctuary from people seeing him working during the early morning hours.

“Good night, I will talk to you tomorrow,” he said, getting off the stool and heading towards the door.

* * *

Kristin was about to head out and find Nathan and talk to him about what her concerns, when the man himself walked into her department.

“I assume you came in here looking for Lucas?” she asked plainly.

Bridger then proceeded to tell her a shortened version of everything that had happened during the day. From the two maintenance workers in his own quarters, to the staff member on Hitchcock's team who had been insulting as well. Westphalen couldn't understand why they found themselves having to take action against people who were adults yet again. That they had no business asking the teenager about why he was on-board and treating him differently when he was trying to offer assistance.

Kristin completely understood why he had been angry and said that he was _'done'_ with the world. She could think of a few choice words to say to those responsible, just like she had done to Robert Cooper.

She was delighted to hear about Ben's efforts to try and undo all that negativity by having a movie night. Bridger told her why Ben had chosen the title and its connection to is his son. Learning about the man being a boxer in his younger years was new to her too.

Kristin made a mental note to talk to Ben when she saw him next, and thank him personally for his thoughtfulness towards Nathan. He was trying to strengthen the connection between Nathan and Lucas because he cared, not because it was part of his job description as morale officer.

Her own heart sank when she listened to how he had reacted to the boxing and now guessing at the real reason why he was wandering about and eventually found himself in her laboratories. No doubt he was trying to escape some bad memories from his past, and her department offered a certain amount of quietness and distancing from other people, which was what he was craving.

Whilst she was more than willing to offer a place of safety for him, she wished it didn't have to come about like this. The doctor then gave Nathan her own observations about his physical appearance trying to quell their own growing concerns for him psychologically.

“I am heading to his cabin now,” he stated to her. “We need to come together as a team and see him through this for as long as it takes, even if he doesn't want that at the moment,” he added with conviction. He wasn't about to let the boy give up on himself or fall through the cracks.

* * *

Upon returning to his own small cabin, Lucas was about to start heading to the mess hall and bring back some coffee to keep himself awake. He thought he had closed the hatch door, but the electronic lock had failed again. It wasn't completely shut, but with his mind was on too many other things, he didn't notice.

He had told Kristin that he was still working on her database, and that is what he had been planning to do. But he was feeling lethargic and distracted, opting instead to play a video game. Hopefully that would stimulate his brain enough for him to focus better before tackling his work again.

Lucas had hooked up to the gaming system through the generous computer equipment provided on the SeaQuest. Suddenly it gave him a brilliant idea entirely.

Outside his cabin, Captain Bridger had arrived, and was just about to knock on the door when he stopped and paused when he heard the teenager's voice. At first thought someone else must have been inside the cabin too. Perhaps Ben. But he soon realised that Lucas was talking out loud to himself.

The Captain felt a little uneasy about listening to what the boy was saying without alerting Lucas to his presence. He wasn't trying to be deceitful, and trusted the risk would be worth it. Maybe he could remain undetected for a short time, and pick some valuable information in the process.

Lucas had sought permission from Bridger today about contacting his best friend, Shep. The Captain had granted his request, but this method of contact may provide the perfect alternative. Using the gaming system, he could contact his friend and could do it from the privacy of his own cabin. He wouldn't need to talk to Tim about providing a secure link up-world.

“Why didn't you think of it before, Wolenczak?” Lucas chastised himself harshly. “Nobody should be able to follow my tracks if done right. You could have done this days ago if only you had used your brain.”

Sitting at his computer desk, Lucas connected his computer through the secret link he had created. He was grantedaccess to the whole network, but the custom security measures allowed him to move about freely and remain virtually anonymous.

The computer was talking loudly enough to Lucas for Bridger to be able to hear what was happening, but he was unable to see the screen.

 _'Thank you for choosing Internex'_ came the electronic voice.

_'Please enter your usercode and password'_

Nathan could hear Lucas' fingers punching in the requested information.

“It's been too long since I logged in and done this,” Lucas whispered to himself, knowing that the chance to indulge in gaming pursuits had not come up very often recently.

 _'Welcome back, Frankenstein'_ the electronic voice greeted him. _'Your identification has been accepted and verified for security purposes. Full access is now granted.'_

 _'Frankenstein'_ Nathan thought to himself with amusement. He never would have guessed that as the boy's online alias.

Bridger could only guess at the secrets and the vast amount of knowledge, that the teenager held about this world. He had never playing games on a computer during his own teenage years. Cyber-space was a strange and alien environment to him, even though his own vessel was built based around technology and relied heavily upon it.

The boy's own voice was translated into digital format, and then applied to his character on screen. Nathan marvelled at the progress of computer intelligence as he listened. It wasn't a perfect match, but it was certainly a good impersonation of Lucas' speech pattern.

_'Choose the opponent you wish to face in battle'_

“I choose, Phantom,” Lucas announced, as he gave the same command via with key strokes.

Did all of these teenage players have these cool sounding names to hide behind? Bridger wondered with a silent chuckle.

 _'Phantom, are you lurking about in here today?'_ his character asked.

A few moments later, there was distinct moaning from a ghostly ghoul in answer from a second character.

 _'Frankenstein, is that really you?'_ came the question from an electronic voice.

“Yes, it really is,” the teenager confirmed.

“Oh my...... Lucas, I can't..... please tell me that you are okay,” came the plea from the other player. The two of them felt comfortable enough to use each other's real names.

The sentence was broken due to the emotion that Nathan could hear. The other person sounded older than Lucas, but he couldn't be sure on their age.

“Switch over to private voice-chat, Phantom,” Lucas instructed. “Make sure your system is secure.”

“Done, talking through secure chat now, and not in the game.”

“Same here, we can talk for a short time without worrying about anybody listening in.”

 _'Except the person standing right outside your cabin door'_ Bridger said to himself.

“Shep, I cannot tell you how good it is to hear your voice,” Lucas said, his own relief and emotion shining through very clearly at this impromptu reunion.

“Good to hear from me?” Shep countered back. “Do you have any idea what Wolfy and I have been going through for the past few months, wondering what had happened to you.”

“Sorry, but this is the first chance I have really had to contact you. I would have done so sooner if I had a way to do so.”

“I know, I know, but you have no idea how crazy it was making the two of us feel, not knowing or being able to do anything. The last time we saw you was at Stanford, when that bastard of a father ripped you out of there with no warning. We saw him shove you into the car and saw the two of you drive away. Wolfy was starting to search the daily obituary pages, expecting to find your name listed.”

Bridger's jaw about dropped to the floor with complete shock. Whoever these friends _Shep_ and _Wolfy_ were, they knew about Lucas' home situation and were privy to a lot more detail than his crew had discovered to date. Hearing about Lucas being taken away from college by his father, was very disturbing.

“Yeah well, nothing has changed there, he has already proven that,” Lucas said, his voice dropping away. “The first week was rough, but I will tell the rest of it another time.”

“Sure,” Shep said, suspecting that his friend was sporting from injuries courtesy of that low-life. He knew that Lucas would never reveal any details and he didn't want to push.

“Where are you anyway?”

“It is probably safer for you not to know at this point, Shep,” Lucas said in complete seriousness, refusing to put his friends in a precarious position.

But then the tone of his voice changed dramatically, “Shep....” he said, leaving it unfinished. The fear unmistakable.

Shep could hear the hesitation and the apprehension coming through from his friend. He didn't need to be in person to picture the shattered look on Lucas' face that would match the tone.

“Other people found out.....” he said ashamedly, leaning back against on the chair, but wincing as his stitches reminded him not to do that.

“How did.........,” Shep gasped, unable to hide his own disbelief at such news. “But how.....?” knowing that Lucas was rightfully worried about the consequences he was facing.

“Because for one stupid minute, I lost control and blurted it out without even thinking,” Lucas answered with so much self-loathing. The teenager was still kicking himself and finding it difficult to keep the emotions from swelling up about that gargantuan mistake.

Shep knew that anybody finding out would be a devastating and catastrophic blow for his friend. The circumstances of how it happened were irrelevant. He was one of the few people who knew just how long that deep dark secret had been kept, and the price it had extracted.

“Who found out?” Shep asked, but then said something else that drew Bridger's attention.

“They better not be hurting you too,” he warned ominously. “Do you need me and Wolfy to jump in the car and come get you? You can bunk here until this all blows over for as long as you like. We can be on the road in ten minutes.”

Lucas gave a shallow laugh at his friend's well intended, but empty threat, “Thanks, I appreciate it but will keep that idea in reserve for now. There are some good people here, trying to help me.”

“None of them will be able to stop your father,” Shep pointed out bluntly. “Are you safe?”

Nathan was very pleased to hear somebody else asking that question, and showing genuine concern for Lucas outside of his crew. This person knew about Lawrence Wolenczak and wasn't afraid to offer rescue and sanctuary to Lucas if he wanted it. The teenager hadn't exactly given a definitive _'no'_ in return.

“For now, I am, and I have been assured that he cannot reach me for the immediate future. I wish I could tell you more, but it is complicated,” Lucas explained.

“With you, it always is,” Shep taunted, knowing that his friend wouldn't be offended with such an off-hand remark.

“As much as I would like to play a game with you now, or spend more time talking, it is better that we don't. When we log off here, I want to put into place, our custom communications system.”

“The emergency 'DEFCON' one we designed for you?” Shep questioned with surprise, knowing that there was a serious problem if Lucas was considering using such a method.

“Yes.”

“There are five levels, which one are you currently at?” Shep asked, knowing what the different tiers were.

“Defcon level four,” Lucas relayed. “I will contact you when and if I need to, not the other way around. Everything communicated between us after this has to be in code until further notice,” Lucas instructed.”

“Understood. But you let me know if you need anything or either of us at any time. Day or Night, twenty four seven,” Shep responded.

Bridger was only beginning to understand the level of sophistication that had gone into these highly organized systems set up by Lucas. No doubt they were only beginning to be aware of the ingenuity and complexity behind them. Hiding away and using secret codes were only the tip of the iceberg. These friends must be very _special_ indeed to be encapsulated as part of his safety net.

Shep said one final thing as the two friends prepared to sever the connection between them. “The three muskateers, Lucas. Always, no matter what comes.”

“No matter what,” Lucas repeated back, unable to disguise how he felt or demonstrate enough, what these two friends meant to him. “Frankenstein out.”

The Captain decided now was a good time to stop listening in and was about to knock on the hatch door, hoping that the expression on his face would pass for normal.

“Knock, knock,” Bridger said in a pleasant voice.

Lucas looked up from the screen he had been staring at for a few minutes, lost in his own thoughts. He heard the Captain's voice.

“Hello,” he said, getting up from his chair and turning the handle to answer the man. It was only now that he noticed that the electronic lock had not engaged.

“That lock didn't work again,” he said, reaching down and playing with the key pad.

Bridger was standing beside him watching with interest, “Will you be able to do the same for your own door like you did for Ben?”

Nathan was trying to detect any signs of fear and being upset after leaving the recreation room. He was actively watching out for the anxiety and fatigue that Kristin had noted. But without giving away that he had over-heard the private conversation through the computer.

“Maybe..,” Lucas he started to say but then stopped, deciding to tackle that particular problem later. “What brings you down here?” he questioned.

A small amount of suspicion began to creep into the back of his mind at the man's timing and arrival at his door. For a moment he searched for any kind of clue to that effect, but then silently chastised himself for being too paranoid. The Captain was checking up on him like normal he surmised.

“You didn't finish watching the movie with everybody, and I wandered down here to make sure you were okay,” Nathan answered, proving the teenager's assumption.

“It wasn't really something I was interested in, but I didn't want to ruin anybody's viewing pleasure,” Lucas gave in explanation, wanting to remove the slightest hint of there being another reason.

The Captain decided not to tell him the reasons for Ben's choice of movie, knowing that it would only add pressure and guilt. Tim O'Neill's and Kristin's observations were not shared. Neither was their growing concern that he was suffering through past traumatic experiences alone.

The conversation that Lucas had with his friend had gone some way towards counteracting the negative feelings and fears he had been holding onto because of the movie.

“I think Ben was a little surprised that you left so soon,” Bridger commented, knowing that the morale officer was feeling a whole lot more than 'a little' disappointment.

That statement had Lucas feeling regretful that he had left without saying anything. Ben had tried to set up the night for him.

“I will talk to him tomorrow,” Lucas promised. “He didn't do anything wrong.”

“You may not let you get away from turning down his next invitation to any social event,” Bridger forewarned.

“I told Kristin that I was staying in for the rest of the evening,” Lucas told the Captain.

“I am headed back to my own cabin too for some quiet reading time,” Bridger confirmed. “Good night, sleep well, I will see you in the morning.”

* * *

Lucas had waited a good hour after the Captain had departed, before leaving his cabin in search of coffee from the mess hall. Only this time, he brought it back, intending to settle in as originally planned and work. For the next few more hours, he wanted to starve off sleep for as long as possible.

He wanted to do what he could to prevent being subjected to more nightmares, and that meant working until he was so tired that nightmares couldn't invade and he wouldn't dream. To start with, he decided to work towards completing Kristin's database program. And he was able to make significant milestones with its creation until after midnight.

After that time, most of the corridors were devoid of foot traffic, with most crew members retiring to own cabins. He brought out his electronic pad, and the tablet for recording his progress on the door locks. Lucas chose a selection of doors where staff were unlikely to come across him in the middle of the night.

At about three a.m., he decided that he needed to move around again and chose another task to work on. He moved to the science department, which was also eerily vacant during these hours. He began in that area with something very simple, which was labelling the geology samples in laboratory one, and the living specimens in number two for Kristin.

By five thirty a.m. in the morning, the teenager knew he was fighting a losing battle to stay awake by the constant deep yawning. The caffeine injections were no longer working. Packing his gear away, he chose to head to the mess hall for something to eat. Maybe having food in his stomach would help him stay asleep without interruption for more than a couple of hours. Right now he was hoping that it was still too early yet for any kind of crowd.

* * *

“Morning, Don,” Lucas greeted the head chef casually, as he approached the serving counter in the mess hall. There weren't any selections in the warmer yet, and the cutlery and condiments had yet to be laid out.

“Lucas!” the man said with total surprise, putting aside the knife he was using, and wiping his hands on the apron he was wearing. “What are you doing in here this time of the morning?” As he said that, he couldn't help but notice how tired the boy appeared.

“Hoping to beat the rush,” the teenager answered truthfully. “I am not looking for anything substantial. Simple and easy, and something to wash it down with that isn't coffee.”

The chef listened to his reason, and took note of what he was interested in eating. He was also silently thinking that he should be talking to the Captain and the doctor and not overlooking the boy's physical appearance. _Had the kid slept at all last night?_

Lucas looked over at the bench were the chef had been doing his morning prep work. He noticed the half-filled crate of avocados and the stones that had been removed and discarded from the other half.

Don saw him looking at them, “Going to be slicing, seasoning with pepper and putting them on toast for people this morning if you are interested?”

“Oh no, I was supposed to come and tell you the day before yesterday that I am allergic to avocados,” Lucas informed him. “Doctor Westphalen knows, and the Captain said it was something that I should come and tell you. I totally forgot until I saw you cutting them up them just now.”

“Thanks for letting me know,” Don answered. “I will make sure not to include them in any of your meals. There are a few recipes on the menu that include them. Most of the time they can be left out if you wanted to try a particular dish.”

“I have scrambled eggs with some bacon pieces mixed with them that is nearly ready to come off the stove. You go and take a seat, and I will bring you out a plate,” Don offered as an alternative choice.

“That sounds fine,” Lucas replied, satisfied enough with what was on offer. Any decision making by someone else this morning suited him.

Lucas chose the same secluded table preventing him being noticed straight away. He sat down wearily, covering up another yawn. He was almost startled when Don appeared beside him no more than a few minutes later.

“Here you go, enjoy,” the chef said, placing the plate of food down and letting the enticing aroma do its job.

“My mother's recipe again. She always knew the best ways of making good comfort food.”

“Smells great, thank you,” Lucas commented as he picked up a fork and tried it. “Tastes good too,” he said between mouthfuls, appreciating that the meal was still hot.

“I will bring your drink out in a minute, I am just finishing heating it up.”

Lucas nodded his head, wondering what it would be, after he had given a fairly vague description of what he was wanting to drink.

“Let me know if you want any more, there is plenty if you manage to get through that,” Don told him, and then went back to the kitchen.

The chef returned with the steaming mug, and was pleased to see that half of the scrambled egg meal had been consumed so far. The youth was eating a little better today.

“Hot Chocolate,” he identified as the boy looked curiously over the rim at the contents.

“I am normally not a big milk fan, but hot chocolate is okay sometimes,” he voiced, taking a mouthful of the chocolaty beverage. “Not too sweet and not bitter,” he gave in critique.

“I will head back to preparing breakfast for the rest of the crew,” Don informed him, leaving him to finish in peace.

Lucas acknowledged by raising his fork in salute as he took another mouthful from his mug, and giving a small nod of his head in thanks.

* * *

Another ten minutes, and Lucas had finished his breakfast, and emptied two thirds of the mug of hot chocolate. He placed his cultery in the centre of the plate, and pushed it to one side of the table, signalling that he was finished. He would return them to Don for washing when he left the room.

With his left arm stretched straight out across the table, Lucas yawned, followed quickly by a second and a third one. He was telling himself to get up and move, but he was growing drowsy. Before he knew that it was happening, he lowered his blond head to rest partly on his arm. His eyes slowly drifted closed, and he fell asleep.

Twenty minutes later, Don had been carrying a crate of juice bottles to restock one of the drink refrigerators. Once the task was completed, he was heading back to the kitchen, but made it a point to pass the table where Lucas had been eating.

He put the crate down quietly, and sat down at one of the other tables across from the teenager, trying to figure out how best to proceed. He wasn't a father, and didn't have any children of his own, but he was definitely feeling the tugs on his heart strings. He didn't want to appear heartless and wake the boy.

Glancing down at his watch, and noted that the first crowds wouldn't arrive for breakfast for a few more minutes. The next question he found himself asking was _'Should he go now and look for the Captain?'_

Bridger had a fairly routine schedule for the past week when it came to arriving for meal times. But did he want to wait that long today?

Don kept looking towards the mess hall door, hoping that Lucas wouldn't be disturbed by noise coming from someone coming in for their own breakfast.

Luck was on his side, as the Bridger, Doctor Westphalen and Ben Krieg all entered together through the door on the other side of the room. They all had varying reasons for being up this early, but their chatter between each other stopped instantly when they spotted the head chef sitting at a table.

Don started to tell them what little he knew, “He came in here about forty minutes ago looking for breakfast,” he informed them, pointing towards the shadowed table.

Nathan was about to ask if something was the matter, but he followed Don's hand and saw who the Chef was talking about. His heart sank as he recognized Lucas' sleeping form. There was no reason for the boy to be up this early in the morning. And to find him here, only caused more unanswered questions in addition to concern about his health.

“I gave him some breakfast, and he looks to have finished that, and most of the hot chocolate in the mug,” Don explained, cranking his neck and looking at the remaining liquid at the bottom. “We even had a conversation about his allergy to avocados. I was going to come and find you, but I didn't want to leave him in here alone.”

Ben started to take a step towards the table, but then changed his mind. Kristin had wanted to do the same thing and move closer to check on him too, but not one of them wanted to wake him unnecessarily.

“What are we going to do, Nathan?” Kristin asked quietly. The signs of apprehension and fear that she had witnessed last night, coupled with what they could see now, had all the hall-marks of him battling unseen demons. He was falling back into old habits of refusing to tell anybody or ask for help. They all had been trying their best to offer support and prevent that.

Bridger had informed her and Ben on the way here that he had some fresh and exciting new information to share over breakfast. None of them expected Lucas to be in here.

“He hasn't even heard us come in. He looks exhausted,” Ben pointed out plainly, taking in his friend's slumped posture.

Instead of answering Kristin, he found himself whispering to the slumbering teenager, wanting to do something. The Captain did edge a little closer, but pulled his hand back at the last moment from making contact. Whilst he didn't want to wake the boy, his insides were tying themselves into knots. That growing concern that was being mirrored on all their faces.

Nathan whispered very softly, “Please don't shut out the people who care and want to help, Lucas.”

To be continued..............................

Jules

**Author Notes:**

Sorry folks, it was supposed to end in a completely different spot, twice, and I tried to get to both of them. I am not happy with where I had to leave it, and it lacks the impact I was hoping for.

I wanted to get to one scene in particular, but that will have to wait. I want to do the upcoming scenes justice and not shorten them or leave out details to do that. So moving the bits I didn't get to into chapter four. This is one of my longest chapter to date.

I hope that the multiple changes of emotion are not too jarring for readers. I want the uncertainty, and mix of emotions throughout and then the bits where a little co-operation is reached intertwining. Lucas is still both finding his feet on-board and dealing with the aftermath of the abuse being discovered, and coping as best he can.

All information about Lucas' blood type is introduced for a reason, for a number of upcoming plots, but you will have to wait to see how. My sister has the same rare type. The statistics about the rarity is fairly accurate at the time of writing this chapter.

This chapter doesn't have a lot of action happening in it, but I hope you enjoy what I am setting up for later.

Bridger really needs to stop listening in to conversations, but seeing how this one is closer to the beginning, I guess this is where it all started where I have used it in other stories. If he didn't listen in, he would miss out on a lot that was happening on his own boat.

There were a few new crew members introduced in this chapter, but it is uncertain how long they will be around for after this story. Hasn't been decided yet. There are even more new introductions in the next few upcoming chapters, and some of those new characters will be around for longer than one story.

I know that some readers are hoping I will soon get back to completing stories like _**A Perfect World, Stanford Reunion**_ and _**Seed Of Doubt**_ and others, please believe me, I will be finishing them. _**My Mother's Son**_ and _**On My Own**_ are coming up much earlier than the others. I need to do them in a specific order for all the previous clues and plotting to work correctly. So please bear with me. New parts to _**Stowaways**_ are already written, but I cannot show them just yet.

Originally Shep (Joshua Shepherd) was an original character not introduced until the first chapter of the started story _**Stanford Reunion**_ and then again in the story _**Friendship.**_ The message to him and the Defcon system used in this chapter happens for a specific reason that I am not about to reveal just yet (and no that doesn't involve his offer of driving to rescue Lucas or staying with him). His own nickname for the internet world _**Phantom**_ was one that I created to go along with _**Frankenstein, Wolfman and Red Menace**_ (Juliana - who won't been introduced yet) _ **.**_ It is not intended to be that you find out a lot of information about them yet and the encounters are only brief.

Grandpa Ralph has been introduced but previously it wasn't until _**Stanford Reunion.**_ Everything mentioned about the music and movie collections for Shep's grandfather, and Ben are made up. The premises where he lives is given briefly, and will come up from time to time with other ideas in mind.

My knowledge of the gaming world is next to nothing, as it probably looks like it from what I wrote, and what I used the system for may not even be possible, but it is for the purposes of SeaQuest. The logging on and described use of the _Internex_ is canon to a certain extent from a couple of episodes where Lucas is gaming.

There was also mention of his friend Wolfman/Wolfy (Nick Green) briefly in this chapter. He will make an earlier appearance in _**On My Own**_ where there will be a little more of the background between him and Lucas. Both of these friends may be mentioned in upcoming new stories and older ones as well from time to time. Those completed stories will be having a lot more content added to them and change in some areas, so please bear with me.

The Defcon system was something I dreamed up for Lucas to be able to communicate with his friends when there was a perceived threat and for them to know how bad the situation was for him. It was thought of for a specific upcoming plot, but then I thought of expanding its use afterwards and giving it a history of how it came about. This system will be explained more and altered a little over a number of plots and used within the SeaQuest crew for the same reason as necessary. I couldn't think of a better alternative name for it.

Thank you for reading. Enjoy. Any reviews gratefully accepted and cherished.

Jules

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please see end author notes.


	4. Surveillance And Disclosure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suspicions are raised about the daytime and nocturnal activities of the youngest crew member of the SeaQuest and many questions need to be asked. Bridger decides that he needs to make some definitive plans to solve the problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please see the author notes at the beginning of this story.

**THE GREEN PEN**

**By Jules**

**Author Notes –** thank you for everybody who is still reading. It truly means a lot that people are reading after such a long time of being away. I hope you enjoy this next instalment.

This is the second story in my new series, and it would be helpful for you to read **Please Tell Someone** as this story continues straight into a new page from the ending scenes of that story.

This particular chapter does not have a lot more action happening, but is necessary to set up some of the key events yet to come later in this story.

The reason for this title will not become apparent until much later in the story, but was thought of ten (10) years ago or more, when the original plot came to me long before I added in the new adoption arc.

Any legal references, laws, requirements for reporting abuse, the steps taken afterwards, court proceedings and outcomes and interview protocols are all fictional. Some are based loosely on real laws and circumstances, but a lot are fabricated to suit my story only and have been changed to suit the plot I have derived. The same with which authorities are involved and their individual roles and responsibilities.

With some of my medical procedures, I have used real techniques and treatments to a certain extent, but there are some that are completely invented for my stories as well and are totally fictional and should not be used for real people. They are used to progress my stories and include for specific scenes as required.

Given that SeaQuest is set in the future, medical technology would have changed greatly, with new procedures and medications and medicines being discovered and put into practice.

**Chapter Four – Surveillance And Disclosures**

_towards the end of the previous chapter:_

_Nathan whispered very softly, “Please don't shut out the people who care and want to help, Lucas.”_

_And now the story continues:_

Lucas' brief unscheduled catnap was interrupted a few minutes later, as a number of crew members arrived at the mess hall for their own breakfast. A group of four people crashed through the doors, chatting away as they approached the serving tables, each picking up a tray.

The teenager was startled awake by the new voices and the clinking sound of crockery and cutlery, as trays were gathered and they began forming an orderly line. Rubbing at his face, the boy sat up and noticed that he had an impromptu audience.

 _'Oops'_ he thought to himself, he definitely had not intended for this to happen.

The teenager gave a sheepish grin to hide his embarrassment, “I told you this was a bad time of the day for me,” he gave as a quick fire excuse, shrugging off the possibility of there being any other reason for him falling asleep at the table.

“I guess I will head to my cabin for a while,” he added with some hesitation, not knowing what else they wanted to hear. He hoped that none of them intended to follow him to try and talk. He wasn't in the mood for any in-depth conversation or even to give a cheery _'good morning'_ yet to them.

“I think that is a very good idea, Lucas,” Bridger agreed, holding off on wanting to debate anything where they were standing.

“Thank you for breakfast, Don,” the boy said as he walked towards the set of doors leading out. He didn't give any indication about what his schedule was going to be for the day.

“My pleasure, Lucas, any time. Don't forget to come back in here later today,” the head chef called out, receiving a hand gesture in acknowledgement of his statement. There was no further confirmation of what meal time he intended to return for.

After watching Lucas leave, Ben proceeded to line up in the queue with his own tray for breakfast. Kristin and the Captain sat down at the table that the teenager had left behind, with the chef promising to bring out their first meals of the day to them. Coffee was of course included with that offer.

Ben rejoined them with his overflowing tray. Sitting down to be included in the casual conversation, Miguel, Tim and Jonathan Ford arrived in the mess hall. They also took trays and selected their varying choices for breakfast. The Captain gestured for them to join their table.

“Good morning, Doctor Westphalen and Captain,” Ford said formally. “We are all in here early this morning.”

Pleasant morning greetings were exchanged between everyone as Miguel and Tim took up seats at the table.

“I have to start my day shift after breakfast, so I was up earlier so that I could tend to my plants,” O'Neill commented in answer to Ford's comment.

“My shift starts after I finish here too,” Miguel added as his reason. “What is your excuse today, Krieg?” not daring to ask Doctor Westphalen or the Captain.

“I have some important things to attend to this morning, Ortiz,” Ben said cryptically, but his usual jovial persona then changed. “Unfortunately there were certain individualsseated at this table before you arrived that were awake and up even earlier.”

“Who?” Ford asked, trying to think of the duty roster for other crew members on-board. Most day shifts on the Bridge didn't start until seven o'clock in the morning. He had not been thinking about their resident computer geek being up at such an early time.

“Lucas,” Krieg answered. “Something was definitely bothering that kid, apart from what we already know about. Though my stellar efforts last night probably went a long way towards that too,” he added in self reproach. “Before you three came in here a few moments ago, we discovered him slumped over the table here sound asleep. At least Don had seen to it that he had eaten decently this morning.”

Commander Ford looked about the faces at the table wearing a puzzled expression. He didn't note that coming from Miguel and Tim. Jonathan assumed that he was the only one out of the loop about anything that happened the previous night involving the teenager.

“I haven't seen Lucas since he left the recreation room,” Ortiz piped in. “Surely he went back to his cabin to sleep last night?”

Tim nodded his head in agreement, “He was pretty upset from what I could see like I told you, but it wasn't all your fault, Ben.”

Nathan told me about the incidents involving those horrid men yesterday that occurred even earlier than your movie night,” Kristin interjected. “By the time he came down to the science department, I could tell that something was wrong, but I didn't know what. He didn't stay there long enough for me to find out. He was trying to avoid any scrutiny, but unfortunately he wasn't able to hide his anxiety. I think Lucas only went down to my laboratories looking for a safe haven until he got himself a little more under control emotionally.”

“He probably suspected that someone would follow him back to his cabin after leaving the movie, and tried to find an alternative place,” Ortiz surmised.

“Movie?” Ford asked, following that somehow Lucas had become upset and was looking to hide away from everybody and find some space for himself.

“I am sorry you were not invited last night, Commander,” Krieg replied. “After you heard his choice words to Murphy near the moon pool, I drummed up an impromptu social night, with only a handful of people. I was trying to create a more social atmosphere, where he could relax. The Captain and I limited who the guests were because we weren't even sure if he was going to turn up in the first place. It wouldn't have mattered who came in the end anyway after the epic failure that the night turned into.”

“No problem, Krieg,” Ford remarked. A movie night seemed a little low key to him compared to some of the other social events that the Morale Officer held.

Those seated at the table were part of Bridger's small network; Krieg felt the need to continue a little more about how their young friend was fairing in general after yesterday.

“Lucas stormed past Bridger and me in the corridor and declared that he wasn't talking to the human race for the rest of eternity. He had a whole lot more to say back in his cabin to me though when I tried to talk to him. That time he wasn't holding back and I got the first real glimpse of how he has viewed his whole situation since coming on-board, and I can't say that I blame him.

“Firstly those two idiots in the Captain's quarters who were supposed to be putting the new furniture pieces together. Followed by Murphy tossing aside any help he was trying to offer about the computer system. Both times involved people attempting or succeeding in getting inside his personal space physically, which he is dead set against for obvious reasons.”

“Lucas admits to feeling disillusioned about how standoffish people are about his offers to help around here, and the efforts that he has been putting in just to fit in around here in general,” Krieg explained. “He stated to me that almost every day since arriving here, and every time he turns around, someone finds it necessary for him to justify his presence on-board. Yesterday it happened more than once on the same day, deliberately. I guess even a nice, quiet and withdrawn kid like him has a breaking point too, because it was close to snapping. His tirade didn't last long, and he was more pessimistic than angry by the time I left his cabin.”

“The movie I chose had a boxing storyline to it,” Krieg informed Ford. “Tim told us that he observed Lucas trying to shield himself from the sounds and images on the screen with a cushion. I didn't know that it would trigger bad memories about his father for him.”

The doctor had made a mental note the previous night to say something to him about his efforts being positive ones. Now seemed like the perfect time, and to prevent Ben from berating himself over something that was out of his control. None of the people seated at the table thought less of him. More importantly, she was convinced that Lucas most likely wouldn't do so either.

“Now you listen to me, Lieutenant,” Kristin lightly scolded, pointing a finger at him, but using a gentle tone of voice, noting that his own guilt was the enemy at the moment.

“Nobody blames you for how he was feeling last night, Ben. You tried to do something nice for both the Captain and Lucas, and a movie that I suspect holds memories that you and Nathan's son shared together as good friends. You are a caring person and you were merely carrying out an act of kindness,” she said. “ I am a doctor, so don't even think of arguing with me,” she added with a smile.

The other men except Bridger gathered around the breakfast table were grinning at the chastising the Ben was receiving from Kristin. It was clear though from the expression on his face, that the man still wasn't totally convinced that his actions hadn't caused more hurt for the teenager.

“Tell that to Lucas,” Ben said, looking direct back at her. “You both saw like I did, how tired his face looked when he was sleeping across this very table. At an hour that he is quite convinced needs to be recorded as a crime.”

Nathan couldn't help but mull over some of the comments that Ben had shared around the table, spoken by Lucas. He wished the teenager had shared more of what he was feeling with him earlier in the day in his quarters.

“Kristin is right, Ben,” Bridger interjected, “You tried to do something positive. We need you to be the happy and carefree person that we usually see and keep being his friend. And I will repeat that I do appreciate what you tried to do last night for my benefit concerning Robert. I hope you will share more of the times you spent together when you feel like doing so.”

* * *

By now, everyone at the table had finished their meals, and were down to their second and last cups of coffee before departing to start their duties. It was still relatively early, and more crew members were coming in for their own breakfast. From this table, they could speak without worrying about being overheard too much. With Bridger seated at the table, most crew members thought that the Captain was conducting a morning briefing about the vessel and intended to steer clear.

“Since all of us are gathered here around the same table, we may as well have a little impromptu meeting amongst our little network,” Bridger suggested. “Those who are currently present anyway. I may as well let you in on what new pieces of information and interesting clues that I found out about Lucas yesterday. Firstly in the morning when he was working on the holographic program in my quarters. Secondly, later in the evening when I went to check up on him after he left the movie so suddenly.”

Krieg tried to do what the Captain was asking; push his guilt aside. The man was right, Ben needed to act like his normal self. He was intrigued by the 'new' information being offered. He noticed that everybody else sitting at the table was eager to listen too.

Bridger turned to the doctor first, seeing that he did have everybody's undivided attention, “You told me yesterday morning that Lucas wanted to ask me a question about something, but didn't tell you what.”

“That's right, Lucas told me that it didn't really matter and wasn't that important after he left your quarters,” Kristin stated, recalling the words she had previously repeated to Nathan from the teenager.

“After he found you in there asleep in your chair, Sir,” Krieg chuckled with mirth. There were three sets of raised eyebrows after this curious comment from Ben. “Hopefully the new armchair we put together for you this morning will be a little more comfortable for the next time you decide to take a snooze.”

“Anyway.....” the Captain said, trying to divert the conversation back to what he was saying. “I found out what the question was. After you left Ben, and while you were escorting those two clowns to the Bridge, Lucas stayed when I asked him to. Reluctantly at first because of what had happened, but then he and I talked for a few minutes. He began looking around at some of the artifacts and historical pieces I have on display in my quarters and asking about their origins.”

“What he was really doing apart from looking from a general interest point-of-view, was hedging away from something he was finding difficult to ask me. He admitted to me himself that he had been trying to pluck up the courage to ask the question for a few days,” Bridger continued. “On a good news front, he may not have any family that he can count on to help him through these difficult times, but he does have friends outside.”

Ben was the first react, “Friends? Well of course he does, he is a likeable type of kid. That is great isn't it?”

“Two best friends he tells me,” Bridger revealed and nodded at Ben's remark. “I know very little about them yet, but Lucas wanted to ask me if he could contact them to let them know where he was living now. Being placed aboard SeaQuest with only last minute notice, he tells me he didn't get the chance to tell them beforehand.”

“That is fantastic news, Nathan,” Kristin said with a smile. “We asked about other family members that could be contacted, but didn't consider that there was another possibility. I hope you told him it would be alright to contact them.”

“Yes, of course I did, but I didn't quite understand why he was so nervous. He told me that he trusts these two friends with his life,” Bridger reported. “He was quite relieved when I told him could. He told me that he would tell me more about them both at another time.”

“So when is he going to contact them?” Ben asked, wanting to find out more about these friends. The loyalty and dependability between these two mysterious friends and Lucas must run deep. Considering that the teenager wouldn't let too many people on-board yet get close to him, and that he had willingly told Bridger.

“Lucas told me that these two particular friends have helped him through some dark times in the past, unbeknown to his father,” the Captain informed them. “That is why he was so anxious about asking me. He assumed I might tell him _'no'_ and wasn't so sure that he wanted to take that chance. He told me that his father doesn't know much about these friends, and would prefer it to remain that way, for their safety.”

The Captain spoke directly to Tim O'Neill, “I told Lucas that he can speak to you quietly about gaining a secure line to be able to talk to them whenever he is ready, with my full permission.”

“Yes, Sir,” Tim nodded in acknowledgement.

“However, that may not even happen now, after what happened in his cabin after he left you, Kristin,” Nathan forewarned.

“Why not?” Miguel asked before everybody else. They were all thinking that some genuine progress had been made in the right direction.

“Lucas had a stroke of inspiration at the last minute about being able to contact them secretly and devised a way without anybody else knowing,” Bridger informed them.

“When I first arrived outside his cabin, I thought he was talking to someone inside the room. I must admit I felt like a bit of a dirty rotten stool pigeon, standing there listening to his private conversation without permission.”

“Naughty, naughty, Sir,” Krieg accused with a brief laugh, but was aware that the Captain may not have found anything out if he had revealed his presence to the teenager.

“ I don't plan on making it a habit, I promise,” Bridger replied. “I am trying to be honest with him from the start, I told him that myself. Finding this out happened by pure accident and wasn't intentional at all. I trust you will all keep what we have spoken about here today between us only.”

“Somehow he has hacked into the computer system of the SeaQuest, and created a secure line for himself through one of his online gaming platforms,” Bridger described.

“According to his own words, if he did it correctly, nobody should be able to track his movements. And he uses a secure password and alternate user-name anyway.”

“Oh you have to tell us, Captain,” Ben begged.

“He won't be able to tell you, Krieg, otherwise Lucas will know,” Tim pointed out plainly. His words had the desired affect, and they all realised that they would have to keep anything they heard secret and to themselves.”

“I will leave you finding that out from Lucas yourself, Ben,” Bridger responded. “He only spoke to one of these friends, not both of them. They all seem to have these alter egos or descriptive user-names for each other. I cannot remember what the other name was now. Unfortunately I didn't get to learn their real names either.

Ben was already making a mental note to himself. When he had been talking to Lucas in his cabin a few days ago, the teenager had outright refused to reveal any of them. It was unfair that Bridger had found out about at least one without even trying. He wanted to know what this nickname was that the boy used online. Krieg was convinced that he could find out without his friend getting suspicious.

Bridger paused talking for a moment before continuing. “You should have heard the reaction of this friend,” he started to smile. “It was obvious that some time has past since they have seen each other in person, or been able to keep in touch through any other form of communication. Lucas sounded excited to be talking to this person and the rare moment of happiness was evident in his voice.”

“For the first few minutes, the friend couldn't contain the overwhelming anxiety from his voice either as soon as he heard Lucas' confirm that it was really him talking. He was literally finding it different to string two coherent words together until he accepted that it was Lucas. From what I able to gather, these two friends have been worried for several months about what happened to him. Lucas promised that he would have kept in contact if he had been able to.”

“What do you mean by that comment, _'what happened to him?'_ Krieg questioned. Leaving such an open ended statement didn't bode well.

Bridger's mood turned a little more sour at this point, with his face showing his displeasure, “Lawrence Wolenczak apparently turned up unannounced at Stanford College suddenly one day and without any prior warning. The last time these friends saw him was when he was being shoved into a car by his father. Lucas was ripped out of there before being given the opportunity to explain to anyone where he was going, or the chance to say goodbye.

Kristin looked like she was about to smash the coffee mug sitting in front of her into little pieces. Being a doctor, she was normally a very caring and kind person, and had endless amount of compassion and patience. In relation to Lawrence Wolenczak, that was changing with everything she was learning about how he had been treating his son. After finding out about the physical abuse the teenager had been receiving only recently, they could only assume that he would have found himself in a similar situation on that occasion.

“Here is something else that none of you will be too happy to hear either,” Nathan forewarned. “They were convinced something bad had already happened, because they were searching the daily obituary pages of the online newspapers, expecting to see his name mentioned.”

The sobering expressions on those seated at the table reflected how they felt at hearing such a statement.

“We may have to keep on our toes around here in the near future,” Bridger pre-empted. “Lucas didn't exactly tell this friend yet that he was living on a U.E.O. classified submarine under the ocean. He commented that it was best that they didn't know his whereabouts for now. He told this friend that he was with people who were trying to help him, but didn't elaborate further or give out our names or level of involvement.”

“That is a positive step in the right direction that he understands that we are doing that,” Miguel remarked.

“What are you thinking, Ben?” Kristin asked, seeing the puzzled expression the Morale Officer sitting across the table wore.

“The invitation I made to the movie night.....,” he answered, pausing and thinking a little more before continuing. “When I mentioned what kind of social night I had in mind, he brought up a little more about himself in the form of a story. He told me about a _friend_ who lived with a grandfather, and owned a large collection of old vinyl music records, cassettes and compact discs. There were also a lot of old movies according to him, though he had only seen it once.”

“Maybe this person the Captain heard him talking to over the gaming platform, is the same friend,” Tim added, following Krieg's train of thought.

“I cannot remember the name of the grandfather, but I guess that is not that important at the moment,” Ben stated.

“This friend that I heard Lucas talking to wanted to make sure that _'we'_ as those people, were taking care of him and could be trusted,” Bridger said in complete seriousness. “From the warning tone in his voice, he was prepared to take action if he was told or thought otherwise,” he added.

Everyone seated at the table were totally floored by that statement. They were all doing their best to make sure that nobody was intent on bringing harm to him, physically or any other way.

“The next question was straight to the point, asking if he was safe,” Bridger informed them.

“That is great that someone else apart from us is not afraid to bring up or ask that question of Lucas,” Ben declared.

“Lucas confirmed that he was safe for now, but he was offered alternative living arrangements by this friend any-time he chooses to leave SeaQuest. For as long as he needs,” the Captain continued. “It may not sound ideal to us right now, but Lucas said he would keep it in mind.

“The friend told Lucas that the both of them could be a car in ten minutes to rescue him. He seemed pretty darned determined to do it if Lucas gave the word and wanted them to,” the Captain continued. “Lucas didn't directly turn him down and say 'no' either. He said he would keep it in reserve for another time.”

“From the way they were talking, I think we can presume that these friends know a whole lot more about Lawrence Wolenczak than we do at the moment. There was no love lost when his name was briefly mentioned. This person repeated what Lucas has already stated to us, that his father is bad news and is going to be difficult to stop in trying to gain back control of his son's life.”

“Do they know about the abuse that he has been suffering through in the past?” Kristin weighed in.

“Yes, they must do on some level, and I assume that is why Lucas was offered rescue and sanctuary,” Bridger answered. “There was a hint of acknowledgement that he had been on the receiving end of some punishment after leaving Stanford campus. He was silent again when it came to giving away any of the details, even to this friend.”

Tim O'Neill was finding it difficult to understand like all of them, how a parent had some to treat their child so terribly. The teachings that he had learned by attending a Catholic Church taught him that children were supposed to be loved by their family. Compared to Lucas, his own childhood and upbringing had been very different.

More information was beginning to emerge about the man, Lawrence Wolenczak and what lengths he had gone in the past. For his son, it was clear that he had ensured that any contact with the rest of the world was monitored and controlled. How much more would they find out about such tactics? And were they ready to hear them?

“It wasn't long before those topics of conversation that were brought up and changed his mood entirely. Any relief he had gained through talking evaporated in an instant,” Bridger revealed, recalling the sound of the teenager's voice. “Lucas told this friend that these _'good people',_ meaning us, had found out about what his father was doing.”

“That must have come as a shock to them?” Krieg voiced. From what they were hearing from the Captain, Lucas was willing to open up a lot more to this friend than he had with any of them. Even Bridger himself.

The Captain nodded his head in acknowledgement of the man's correct assumptions.

“That boy is still berating himself harshly over allowing his darkest secret being found out at all. He even had trouble getting the words out of his mouth. For a brief moment I thought the situation was going to mirror the emotional outburst he had in his cabin in front of me,” Nathan commented. “For him it is a sign of nothing but failure on his part of not being able to distance himself enough away from anybody.”

“I would go so far as to say that it is playing on his mind an awful lot. The one true factor that is driving every action and reaction even here on-board. He is scared that his father is going to find out that somebody else has discovered the truth about his home life. I have seen it first-hand. The fear that he is currently carrying around just beneath the surface, is unmistakable and very prevalent.”

“Lucas has established quite a few safety measures as best he can, to enable him to cope with his father's tyranny,” the Captained explained. “Secretly hiding away from any threat is a one such method we found out by accident. No doubt there are probably others that nobody even knows about. There were discussions with this friend of at least one other, that is far more sophisticated in its set up and planning.”

“What is it?” Miguel Ortiz asked with intrigue, seeing the same question and interest on the other faces around the table.

Some of them had already seen a demonstration of the teenager's ability to solve problems. Lucas had already shown a level of intelligence that was extraordinary for someone his age during the short time he had been on-board. Computers, language, technology, advanced programming, the list was already impressive. What other skills did he possess?

Bridger answered with another question of his own, “With the training that you have all received as personnel aboard this vessel, and as members of the military service in general, I am sure you are familiar with the _'defence readiness condition'_ alert system that was devised by the armed services?”

“You mean the Defcon system?” Ford queried, not sure what that had to do with Lucas and his unnamed friend.

“Yes, Commander, that is precisely what I mean,” Bridger said with a grin. “Lucas has developed some kind of comparable system for these friends. From what little I understand about it so far, it correlates directly with how much danger he is at any one time. I don't have details yet of all the individual levels, but as of right now, he told this friend that he is at Defcon Level Four.”

“Level Four?” Kristin spoke up, with a puzzled expression. Like Jonathan Ford, she was trying to draw a line of reference of how such a system related directly to their youngest crew member.

“Doctor Westphalen, the system that the crew of this vessel adhere to states or prescribes that there are five graduated levels of readiness for the military,” Tim O'Neill filled in for her. “It starts as Level Five, which is least severe and worsens to Level One which is most severe.”

“I know there is such a system, but how does that involve Lucas?” Kristin commented, knowing the bespectacled man had meant well with his reply. Being a civilian doctor, those in the military downplayed what knowledge she had about their operations and regulations. She didn't always agree with them, and certainly wasn't afraid to voice her opinion when they encroached on her staff or their duties.

“Lucas severed the connection to the internex a few minutes after declaring this level,” Bridger told them. “From that moment onwards, all communication and chatter between them is to be in some kind of secret code. And he will contact them, not the other way around.”

“A secret code that we may never be able to properly decipher,” Ortiz pointed out. “If it is anything like any of those computer languages that he mentioned while figuring out the coding problem to my station, then we are all sunk.”

“I think Lucas only brought up the secret code because he still doesn't feel safe from his father's reach,” Nathan added. “The assurances that I have personally given him haven't been enough.”

* * *

Ben Krieg made himself sit up a little straighter, taking on a determined stance. “Thank you Captain, for new pieces of information. It is great to hear that Lucas has past friends who are willing to help him and have done so previously. As for myself, I need to be doing something positive now, here on-board, as one of his newer friends. Not waiting for someone to come and rescue him away from here.”

“What do you want to do, Ben?” Bridger queried. “I think you have been doing a very fine job so far. You have been his confidante and gained his trust to a certain degree already in such a short space of time.”

“With your permission of course, Sir, tonight I am going to try the social event route,” Krieg explained, ignoring the Captain's praise. “Instead of a movie night though, just a little impromptu party. Some snacks and finger foods to eat, and some non-alcoholic drinks. A little music and a positive but relaxed atmosphere. That should eliminate any awkwardness like what happened last night.”

“Do you think he would be willing to attend?” Kristin asked. She liked what the young Lieutenant was trying to achieve, but after seeing the teenager last night and this morning, perhaps Ben was being overly optimistic.

“I am hoping to appeal to his better nature that it is not just for his benefit,” Ben answered. “Other than that, pure intentional and unashamed begging on my part.”

The group gathered around the table laughed at that comment from the Morale Officer. They were aware of how Krieg used charm to persuade others into doing things or co-operating with his unusual plans.

“Actually, you may not have to do that, Ben,” Bridger commented. “When I finally did alert Lucas to my presence outside his cabin door last night, I mentioned to him about skipping out on your movie night. He wasn't going to admit to what caused him to leave so suddenly, but he did feel guilty enough about not telling you. I hinted to him that he may not be able to turn down your next invitation so easily.”

“Well, that's settled then,” Ben declared with renewed energy. “Everybody seated here is invited of course, including both of you Commander Ford, and Doctor Westphalen.

“I think I will still use a little restraint on the number of guests invited and keep them low. I am sure Don won't object to turning out a few platters of eats that will tempt our young friend.”

“I can supply some of the background music if you want, Krieg?” Tim O'Neill offered.

“Sure Tim, that would be great,” Ben said with thanks. “Turn up in the recreation room a few minutes beforehand to set up. Other than that, the atmosphere will be low-key and without routine. Just a chance to mingle, talk and share some good food for a couple of hours. That way, there is no heavy onus on anybody to do anything specific, but to turn up and be themselves.”

“I am heading down to my science department, Ben, but if you need any other assistance before tonight, you can approach me at any time,” Kristin advised. “I have quite a lot of work that I want to achieve before then.”

The group began packing up their trays and crockery, planning to leave and attend to their own duties for the day.

Bridger told Jonathan Ford that he would be along in a few minutes, but was sharing a last minute conversation with Kristin.

Tim and Miguel were discussing genres of music for the night's promised activities as they left the mess hall together to start their day shifts. Miguel offered a few of his own pieces from his own collection of music for O'Neill to use.

* * *

Ben watched everybody leave, intent on staying long enough to talk to the Head Chef. Grabbing his tray, he proceeded to approach the serving counter.

“Just returning these, Don,” Krieg shouted out to the man.

The breakfast line up had slowed a little. There were still hot dishes on offer for last minute stragglers or late risers. The avocados on toast had gone down a treat, and there were none left. There was still a healthy amount of scrambled egg with bacon pieces available.

Don the chef, wiped his hands on his apron, walking over to collect the tray, but wondering why Krieg had decided to do it this morning. Normally the guy left his tray on the tables for someone else to clear away like most of the crew on-board.

“That will be a first from you. Keep that up and I will think that you are up to no good,” Don commented. “Lucas is proving to be a good influence on you in the good manners department, Ben.”

“Now that hurts, Don,” Krieg fired back in his own defence. “I am doing you a favour.”

"In return for............?” the Chef gauged, knowing there was a reason behind it. “With you doing the asking, I can't help but be suspicious.”

“About what?” Ben countered. “I came here to return my breakfast tray, and ask if you wouldn't mind helping me out for later on this evening.”

“Here it comes......,” Don pre-empted, waiting to hear the man's request.

“I am having a little get together tonight, for say no more than ten people. In the recreation room at about six o'clock,” Krieg explained. “I wanted to know if you would make up some finger food platters. I would be needing some sodas and other drinks to wash everything down with. Nothing too fancy or complicated, but a nice assortment to go around.”

“And you are only just telling me this now!” Don challenged, looking down at his watch. The number of people didn't sound too many, but still. “A little warning in future would be nice, Krieg,” the chef proclaimed.

Ben knew that he asking a lot and not allowing a lot of preparation time, “This isn't for me this time. I am organising a little social night that will include Lucas.”

“That who the food is for?” the chef asked. He was tempted to ask Ben what he had done to the kid to try and make up for. The chef knew the man was making some genuine efforts where the teenager was concerned, so he refrained from bringing the matter up.

“Some music, some eats and a little relaxed talking, nothing more. It will be for everybody, but I am hoping to lure him there a little later with an open invitation,” Ben answered. “He told the Captain that he was going back to his cabin when he left here. I hope it was to get a little more sleep, so I will ask him later when he is awake.”

“He did look tired when he came in here, even before the Captain arrived,” Don remarked. “Alright Krieg, I will help you out and supply the platters and drinks. We don't know everything he likes yet, but I will put together a few samples that I hope he will find tempting. There will be enough for everybody. You are going to owe me.”

“Thank you,” Ben said cheerfully, as he turned and started to leave, heading off to find and planning to speak to Bridger. “I will definitely owe you,” he added as he exited the doors.

* * *

Arriving back in her science departments, Kristin was met by one of her senior staff members who was brimming with excitement.

“Doctor Westphalen, what you have achieved in the last few days is tremendous, and I know everybody down here is very thankful for your extra efforts and dedication,” the woman stated.

“Thank you Jane, for your sentiments but what are you talking about?” Kristin asked politely. Her duties over the past week weren't out of the ordinary or anything that should be deemed as ground-breaking. If she wanted to be brutally honest, the current pace of testing was behind schedule. And some areas had not received anywhere near the amount of attention that was planned.

“All the labelling you did,” the woman said, her expression turning one of confusion. At first the technician thought that the doctor may been downplaying her role, but now she noticed that Kristin really didn't understand what her words of praise were for. “Both laboratories, one and two. All natural specimens and all the geology samples have been been carefully named with all the correct genus and common names.”

“All of them?” Kristin said with more than a little surprise. That was a task she had been hoping to achieve over the next several weeks. To hear now that it had been carried out was very strange. Nobody had been authorised or assigned yet to carry out such a task, because they were all busy with more pressing work demands.

“I am sorry, I assumed that you did it,” Jane replied. “I don't know who else would have done it.”

Walking with the young woman into the first laboratory, “Show me what has been done,” Kristin instructed, wanting to view first-hand what the young woman was pleased about.

Gazing at each individual specimen in turn, she could see what had been done. The science department had made a great deal of progress since she had given Lucas a tour through these laboratories. A number of slides had now been prepared for the non-living specimens, dead coral samples, rock and sediments.

Looking intently at the slides, she could see the labelling that had taken place. With each being hand-written in very small and neat print, she now knew the identity of the person who had done it.

“Lucas told me that he was almost finished working on the software that I asked him about, but he didn't mention anything to me about taking on any of this work,” Kristin said with gratitude in her voice. She could guess fairly accurately at how long it may have taken him to do them all. Where he had found that extra time she didn't know.

“The next laboratory is done as well,” Jane informed her. “All of the animal, plant and micro-organisms.”

Kristin was shocked again, and exited the first laboratory, only to enter the second. She had heard the woman mention that both sections had been completed, but it took looking about now for her to fully comprehend just how much work the teenager had done without saying a word. She hadn't seem him down here during the day when she had been working. How many hours had he been doing this without her team noticing?

“The young man that is staying on-board here,” Kristin said as she saw that Jane had not put a face to the name. “He has done all of this, I recognize his hand-writing. I must thank him as soon as I see him.” She remembered the game they had played and enjoyed together testing each other's knowledge. Lucas had gone above and beyond what she would ordinarily expect and put those skills into practical use.

“Well he has done a great job,” Jane applauded. “It will make a big difference to us down here. I hope you will pass along thanks on our behalf.”

“I plan to make sure that he receives full credit for what he has done,” Kristin assured her. “I expect him to be down here a little more frequently so you will be able to pass along your thanks directly to him. Though he may act too shy at first. He is still finding his way around down here and the rest of the vessel.”

“I will remember that if I see him. I will go back to my own duties now,” Jane stated, leaving the doctor alone with her own thoughts.

Kristin assumed that he would be sleeping in his cabin after leaving the mess hall, so talking to him would have to wait until he was awake. She would be passing on all of the praise and comments being made by her staff.

* * *

Walking through the corridor on his way past the moon pool, the Captain stopped and did a double-take when he spotted a familiar figure sitting on the backless stool, petting Darwin.

“I thought you were going to get some more sleep this morning?” Bridger brought up as he came up alongside the teenager.

“Sleeping is over-rated,” Lucas declared with a half grin, trying to downplay the man's concerns. The truth was he had returned to his cabin, but sleep still wouldn't come naturally. The short doze across the table this morning had been a mistake that he hadn't been able to replicate. His mind was on overdrive and proving hard to shut down.

“What are you and Darwin planning to do today?” Nathan asked, genuinely interested in the progress the teenager was making with the vocorder program. He had been maintaining his own method of communicating with the dolphin on his island and thought that well ahead of its time. This new concept invented by Lucas who was so young was fascinating.

“Mainly revision work today,” Lucas replied, playing with various buttons on the controller. “I still cannot get into the tank to swim and play with him yet,” he added glumly.

Directly any further comments away about his stitches, the boy changed subjects entirely, “I did go by your cabin before coming here to look at your new furniture.”

“Oh, what did you think?” Bridger questioned. “Ben and I struggled getting one of the armrests into the correct alignment. Eventually we got it to work. I think they look great. I haven't had the chance to try them out.”

“The sofa looks comfortable and large enough, but rather plain and boring in the colour department if you ask me,” Lucas answered. “Not that I have a whole lot of experience with furniture or décor to base that opinion on.”

“Well boring and plain suits me just fine, thank you,” the Captain said with stoicism. “I told Commander Ford that I didn't have any preference for the fabric or the colour, so you will have to take that up with Ben.”

“That is alright then, I will tell him that he is plain and boring,” the boy said with a small laugh.

“Did someone mention my name?” Krieg asked as he approached the moon pool. The man was carrying a clipboard in his hands. “I thought you were supposed to be sleeping?”

Bridger knew what Ben was there to do, and didn't want to be seen putting any pressure on the teenager's decision. “I am headed back to the Bridge, but I will talk some more with you later.”

The teenager ignored Ben's question about sleeping entirely. It was the second time within less than half an hour that someone had brought up the same subject. It was different for him, and he couldn't do it on command just because it was the expected thing to be doing at a certain time.

“The furniture in the Captain's quarters, I took a peek before coming here” Lucas told him with a little teasing in his voice. “When I brought up about the fabric colour choices, he mentioned that you were responsible for selecting and ordering them. That is why the colours are plain and boring.”

“That's it, you are off the invitation list,” Ben taunted back, using the comment as a casual way of introducing why he was standing there.

“What invitation list?” the teenager questioned. “What are you planning now?”

“I am having another get together with a few of the crew tonight,” Ben started to say, but saw the immediate change of expression on the boy's face. “Don't worry, it won't be another movie night I promise.”

“I am sorry I left there without telling you, it wasn't you,” Lucas apologised, unable to mask his guilt well enough. “Please believe that it wasn't anything you did.”

“There was never any obligation for last night,” Ben said with some honesty, not wanting to bring up what Tim had witnessed. “On the next movie night, you can pick what we watch.”

“Thanks for understanding,” Lucas responded, trying to deflect any further discussion on the topic, he asked a question of his own. “What is tonight supposed to be all about?”

“By agreeing to come tonight, you will go some way towards restoring your good name in my books....,” Ben joked, seeing a hint of a smile from the teenager in return. He dropped the act and continued, “Tonight isn't about anything specific. A very small group of people, mingling with some music, talking and generally just having a good time.”

“Ben....,” Lucas said, giving a tired sigh. He didn't want to sound ungrateful, and Bridger was right about owing him, but he didn't know if he had another social night in him today. He looked back at Krieg's grin and expectant face, and felt worse because he couldn't give a concrete yes or no.

Krieg could see the reaction, and the temptation to say _'no'_ on the tip of his tongue, “Hey, no obligation remember, just like yesterday. Come if you want to, but it doesn't matter if you don't.” Although the morale officer was silently hoping that he would agree.

“I will be there,” Lucas agreed, but didn't give any other assurances. “Oh and tomorrow I can start to give you a demonstration of that software that I designed for you,” he added, completely changing the topic of discussion again.

“You finished it already?” Krieg said with surprise. When talking to the teenager only a couple of days ago, he had mentioned that he was working on it, but it had only been half done at that point.

“All done, and you can start using it once I show you how,” Lucas confirmed, pleased that he had been able to do something for Ben that would make his job easier. “Today, I want to keep working with Darwin for a bit longer.”

No sooner had he made the comment though, the dolphin swam away in the opposite direction, headed out of the moon pool tank.

“Or maybe not,” he remarked. The distraction of talking to the Captain and then Ben had taken away the animal's co-operation on working with the teenager and his vocabulary for now.

“Don't take it personally, Darwin probably had a better offer of a fish,” he said with amusement. I had better get back to work too,” Ben commented, knowing that there was some set up work to do in the recreation room in a few hours.

The teenager gave a small grin in return. For the next few hours, he would have to find something else to keep himself occupied. To be honest, any motivation to start anything complicated had disappeared when his aquatic friend had left.

Krieg was counting on tonight's activities to keep the teenager's attention a little longer than the previous night. He was banking on the presence of the Captain and Doctor Westphalen as being the back up plan to help with that.

* * *

By the time five o'clock in the afternoon came around, the recreation room was a hive of activity, with Ben Krieg being right in the middle of the chaos. Tim and Miguel were getting the music organized, still deciding between them which genre to play. Both had bought quite an impressive repertoire to utilise. They weren't sure what would appeal to everybody in the room at the same time.

The food tables had been set up, and Don had brought in a number of tempting platters of finger foods. He had slapped Krieg's hand away on a number of occasions, telling him to wait until everybody had arrived. The chef himself was asked at the last minute to join them if he wanted to, but respectfully declined. There wasn't anything on the table that was unusual or too fancy.

The Captain and Doctor Westphalen arrived almost an hour later together, when everything was almost in place. Ben had done a terrific job at setting up the casual night with not a whole lot of time to do so. Commander Ford was one of the last to arrive, dressed in casual off-hours attire.

Bridger walked over to Ben, wanting to ask where the last guest was, but he was beaten to the punch before being able to ask anything.

“Lucas was reluctant to agree when I asked him,” Ben commented, “But he said he would come.”

No sooner had he made the statement, Lucas walked through the door of the recreation room, a small smile on his face as he greeted Tim and Miguel. His expression changed to a slight frown at listening to the soft, gentle music playing in the room. It wouldn't normally be something he would choose, but kept silent about its lack of appeal to him.

“Hi,” he said simply to everyone, standing beside the Captain. Kristin was beside Nathan. Everyone exchanged pleasantries, but the lack of spontaneous conversation was evident.

Lucas had taken a hot a shower, hoping the steam would revitalise him and help him to stay awake a little longer. Before turning up to the recreation room, he had been working on Ben's inventory program back in his cabin, and adding a few last minute touches. After telling Ben that it was ready to put into action, he wanted to double check that it was the case.

By now, he was starting to feel very lethargic. He didn't want to fall asleep in front of the small gathering like he had done this morning in the mess hall. At the moment, with the messages that were being exchanged between his brain and the rest of his body, that was a distinct possibility.

When Bridger had challenged him near the moon pool he hadn't felt as tired as he did right now. He was hoping to get away with showing up to apologise to Ben for the movie night, but nothing more. He had never been a social butterfly, and wasn't interested in being one tonight. An hour should be enough, less than two in mixed company was his goal.

“Glad you could make it, Lucas,” Ben declared with enthusiasm. When he surveyed where everybody was standing in the room though, he didn't like what he was seeing.

Ben swiftly grabbed a cold drink, pushed it into teenager's hand, “Come on, everybody here has met each other before, this is supposed to be a party, not a nun convention. There is a great big sofa over there to sit on and talk. Some of you go over there,” he instructed. “Other people can stay here near the food tables. We are not mannequins, spontaneous and embarrassing dancing is permitted and encouraged.”

This brought a burst of laughter from the teenager, “To this music, Krieg? You must be kidding. Thankfully I am not much of a dancer anyway.”

Captain Bridger and Jonathan Ford grinned at the energy that Ben was bringing to the event, enough for everybody all on his own. In keeping with his wishes, they moved towards the large sofas, happy to join in some conversation.

“Just remember gentlemen,” Krieg warned his two senior officers. “The same rules apply tonight, that there will be no talk of work inside these walls. They are meant for you too, Doc,” he directed at Kristin.

“I will be on my best behaviour,” the red-headed woman promised, picking up one of the drinks, and trying to be a little more involved in the social atmosphere Ben was trying to create.

Kristin was trying to figure a way to talk to Lucas and thank him for his efforts in her science department, but with the teenager was still standing next to Ben near the table of food. Adhering to his wishes, and taking into account the teenager's quiet mood, she doubted that he would appreciate the spotlight. She would have to wait to talk to him on his own another time.

Ben glanced over at Lucas, seeing him standing near the buffet table and surveying what was on offer. There was something else though that caught his attention. The boy appeared almost apprehensive and anxious, looking sideways in either direction, watching for anybody being too close. There must have be a reason for it, but Krieg couldn't think of a viable answer.

“You can try anything you like,” Krieg encouraged, grabbing a plate himself and placing more than a few morsels onto it, hoping the boy would follow and at least try some. “Some of these look great. I must remind myself to tell Don about what a fantastic job he did on the food.”

Lucas gave a small grin, and picked up a plate too, hoping to direct Ben's attention away from the nervousness bubbling beneath the surface. In the back of his mind though something else caused the half smirk to disappear very quickly. He almost dropped the first piece he selected, and had to alter his grip at the last second to mask his clumsiness.

“ _You can never make them understand!'_ echoed back as his mind silently but harshly admonished himself.

Tim and Miguel joined the two of them, grabbing a plate each and perusing what was laid out. They were impressed with the selection as well, making a few appreciative noises at the smells and visual display.

“How come there isn't any chips for dipping and guacamole, Krieg?” Tim asked. “You keep telling Ortiz and me that you are some kind of connoisseur for Mexican cuisine, but I don't see any of that reflected here on the table.”

“Don must have played it safe tonight with the menu he gave us. You can both blame Lucas here for that little omission from tonight's treats,” he poked in fun at the teenager. “Turns out that our young friend here is allergic to them. I already told him that my Mexican themed nights are ruined.

Lucas coped the jibe without being offended, but didn't elaborate further.

“I am allergic to some foods too, Lucas,” Tim admitted. “Some seafoods, not all of them. In the past, I have had trouble identifying which ones affect me and which ones don't.”

“Carrots for me. I usually break out into itchy and embarrassing hives,” Miguel interjected with slight annoyance. There had often been an disagreement between his mother and grandmother at home when he was growing up. His mother knew of the allergy, his grand-mother didn't believe that they were the caused a problem.

“None of you people are going to be fun at any of my parties,” Ben huffed with mock indignation. He was pleased that Tim and Miguel had shared their food allergies, so that Lucas wouldn't feel like he was the only one being singled out.

* * *

With a few uneaten pieces of food on his plate and what remained of his drink, Lucas took them away from the table, towards the sofas. He didn't know what Ben and the others wanted to talk casually about and no interesting topics were coming to mind. Tim had gone to change the music to something with a little more beat to it, but kept the volume low enough that it wasn't being intrusive.

Ben and Miguel were still by the food table, exchanging a few recipes that they had tried in the past. Krieg liked spicy food, as did Ortiz, so there was a lot of common ground between them.

Sitting down, fatigue was washing over Lucas in waves, settling in like a heavy curtain. He was surprised that the Captain and Kristin hadn't noticed it when he came into the room. Even Ben hadn't said a word when they were standing near the food table. He doubted he was hiding how tired he was very well from anybody at this point.

Bridger offered a smile when the teenager sat close by. He was pleased to have the company. Kristin and Jonathan Ford were talking about vacations they had taken to various places. Both of them lived and breathed their jobs, even outside of their normal hours. Any minute now one of them was going to stray into work related territory.

Lucas was the first to make a random statement, but with his defences down, he didn't realise that he was allowing the person listening to learn more about himself. “This is very different to from the investment parties that I am used to attending. At least this looks like real food.” He placed one of the samples into his mouth.

“Been to a few of those type of events in the past?” Bridger asked cautiously, noting the mistake that had been made, but waiting to receive a little more detail. They probably weren't that much different to the meetings he had attended with the Naval brass over the years. Plenty of food and refreshments provided, but usually strictly all military talk and very little achieved from any of them.

Lucas had finished the food, “That was nice enough. The food that the events I was forced to go to was often too rich for my simple taste. Stupid things like scraping dead snails out of their shell with the end of a toothpick, raw fish on tiny little crackers and Caviar served on small triangles of toast,” he added with disgust.

 _'Not that I would have been allowed to try any of them anyway'_ Lucas conceded miserably to himself as memories started to creep into his psyche.

“Business meetings I suspect?” Bridger assumed. The part that of the boy's speech that he had picked up on was _'forced to attend'_ in addition to the other disapproval voiced from Lucas.

“Mostly endless hours of boredom spent with a bunch of stuffed-shirt people who didn't speak a word of English. Japanese, Korean and a few other nationalities,” Lucas answered. “I wouldn't recommend going to them to anyone, and there was never any good food and only high priced alcohol flowing from the bar.”

Nathan assumed from those admissions, that Lucas may be capable of speaking more foreign languages than French. How these people were associated with his father, Lawrence Wolenczak and his World Power empire was pure speculation.

Lucas finished the last two pieces of food on his plate, and drained the last of his soda. Tim was filling his own plate at the buffet table, and tasting a few of the samples.

The Captain had been drawn into the conversation with Kristin and Commander Ford, and was currently turned away from him. Miguel and Ben were over where the music was pumping out from, and arguing over the next choices.

The teenager had promised Ben to turn up, and as far as he was concerned, that was what he had done. He had even eaten some of the food, and _mingled_ as much as he felt was necessary. The sofa he was sitting on was inviting, but he didn't want the same situation as this morning in the mess hall. He needed to leave before he fell flat on his face in front of them. Somewhere in his not too distant future, he saw another much larger face to face apology going to Ben for spoiling another of his social nights.

Thankfully, nobody had glanced in his direction, or saw him stand up from the sofa. Lucas surprised himself with how smoothly his exit was.

A couple of uninterrupted hours of sleep, free from nightmares and current negative thoughts was what he was aiming for. Walking down the corridor away from the recreation room, he headed back to _Mammal Engineering_ and his cabin.

* * *

Bridger turned around to say something to Lucas about what Jonathan had said, but noted that the sofa to his left was now vacant. There was an empty cup and plate nearby.

Looking about the room to spot the teenager, there was a new sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“Oh Ben,” the Captain called out, standing up and taking another glance at the faces around the room. Everybody who was supposed to be in the room was except for one.

Krieg came walking over to Bridger, about to ask why he had been summoned, but Kristin spoke first from behind him.

“Where is Lucas?” she asked. Jonathan Ford and her had been enjoying their casual exchange, but had lost track of the time for a few minutes. They had seen the teenager talking to the Captain and sharing a story, but hadn't heard what they were talking about.

“Lucas is missing again?” Ben said with dismay, looking about the expansive room himself. He noted those few people who were present, but the one face he was searching for was not amongst them. “He managed to slip out just as silently as the last time.”

“He appeared to be calm when he was talking to you Nathan, not more than a few minutes ago,” Kristin interjected. “I saw him get food from the table at least once before coming down and sitting on the sofa.

“Lucas was eating some of the delicious samples that Don provided for tonight,” Bridger reported. “There wasn't much on his plate, but he did try some of them. After that he was sharing with me some of the experiences he has had with the business parties that his father has hosted. There weren't too many similarities and according to the strenuous dislike and opposition coming through in his words, they were events he would rather not be associated with.

“You know, he is starting to give me a complex concerning the lack of my ability to keep or maintain his attention during any of my social events,” Ben tried to joke, but his attempt at humour fell very short of the mark. He hazarded a guess that there was much more going on with the teenager, and suspected more than just bad memories had been plaguing him for a number of days.

The small group of people were now gathered around the sofa, wondering what may have triggered the teenager to react badly. They had been fairly careful with their topics of conversation, but that may not have been enough on this occasion. Trying to pick up on his mood was still proving to be quite difficult, despite their best combined efforts.

“Please everybody wait here, I will go and see if I can find out the problem and what caused him to leave,” the Captain requested, putting his own drink aside.

* * *

Bridger made his way down to _Mammal Engineering_ trying to go back over the short amount of time Lucas had spent in the recreation room in an attempt to identify something that may have made him feel uncomfortable. The teenager had inadvertently provided a few small, select bits of information about the business events that his father had hosted at their home, and how boring they were.

The teenager had revealed that most of the guests were foreign, but had not shown any signs of being upset that Nathan had been able to tell at that point. Disgusted and irritated about the length of time he had spent at those events, and the choice of menu, but he had not sounded distressed or strained. Nothing had sounded particularly out of place, but alarm bells were definitely ringing that he had chosen to leave again suddenly for a second night.

On his way past the moon pool, he had contemplated heading down to the science department first. That is where Lucas had gone first last night, looking for sanctuary in Kristin's domain. This time he took a punt about where the teenager had headed to after the recreation room, hoping that he hadn't found another designated hiding place yet.

Approaching the small cabin, he paused for a moment, pondering what mood or frame of mind he would find the teenager in. The accusation of checking up on him again without a valid reason could very well be coming his way. If that was the only thing bothering Lucas, then he could accept that criticism.

Knocking on the hatch door to the small cabin, he waited patiently for a few moments, before turning the handle and taking a chance by entering. He was pleased to see that the occupant was at least inside. He wasn't so sure whether or not he would be on the receiving end of some words of denial that there was a problem and a very closed off attitude. Looking across the small cabin teenager, he now knew the reason for him leaving Ben's party early.

There was no loud music playing at present, but perhaps that had been an omission on his part and he had forgotten to turn it on this time. Bridger sighed to himself once he was standing close enough to take a good look at Lucas' face. The boy was currently laying on his bed, on his left side, sound asleep. Apparently too tuckered out to acknowledge the knock at his door.

The teenager had not heard the door open, or anybody enter the cramped space of his room. From previous observations, it was unusual for his senses not to be in a state of heightened alert. They couldn't be at that level though, unless you were taking reasonable care of yourself, and that included good food and enough rest. Bridgerdoubted that Lucas was achieving either of those things in the correct quantities since arriving on-board.

The fatigue that had been on display in the mess hall early this morning before breakfast, had returned ten-fold this evening. Getting through the day purely on coffee fumes and stubbornness, the boy was over-tired and worn out. Nathan had seen him working by the moon pool with Darwin, and spoken to him before Ben had shown up. There had been a comment or two made about him carrying out other tasks during the day.

They may have been acting like concerned friends, but the Captain had the impression that they were missing meaningful clues, and bypassing some of the self-explanatory signs. They were taking the time, but failing to come up with the right answers. None of them could claim to be making great crossroads or being successful by looking carefully beneath the surface.

Then another reason for the Lucas' tiredness crept into the back of Bridger's mind and presented as a valid alternative. His eating schedule was still somewhat irregular, and his sleeping pattern unpredictable and hard to nail down. Maybe he was coming down with a virus and getting sick and didn't want anybody to notice, especially Kristin.

Nathan didn't want to disturb the boy from the sleep he obviously needed, but he wanted to make sure there wasn't something more sinister starting to brew that they should know about. Very gently, he laid the palm of his hand on the teenager's forehead, checking for the tell-tale sign of a fever.

The Captain was relieved when the temperature of his skin felt normal, without any heat present. A more plausible reason for Lucas leaving Ben's party early could be that he was worried about dozing off in front of other people. Wanting to avoid any embarrassment in front of the few crew members he was in contact with on a daily basis.

Lucas must have felt someone's presence in the room on a subconscious level, and the hand, because he began to stir at the intrusion. Bridger was rewarded with a sliver of blue appearing from beneath barely raised eyelids. Tired eyes, opened and drooped twice, before closing one final time. There was no fever, but Nathan felt a shiver run through his body. It was clear to the Captain that the boy was merely exhausted.

Thankfully, this time around he had not scared Lucas to death by disturbing him. The boy's half-hearted attempt to wake was tough to watch, and a sign that something else was happening right under their very noses. Instead of lifting his hand away too quickly and losing the contact, he carded it softly through the boy's hair. The tactile gesture only bringing about regret that he needed to use such a method in order to gain a truthful, non-verbal answer to the question of whether he was sick. Bridger intended the action to be soothing and would help ease him back to sleep with an unspoken apology.

Bridger watched him silently, growing more concerned by what they were not able to see going on internally, _'Why are you doing this to yourself?'_

The small cabin was still much too cold for his liking, thankfully this time, one of the blankets that Ben had delivered was hanging over the foot end of the bed. He reached for the fluffy polyester fabric and gently spread it out over the youth. Lucas gave a contented sigh at the additional warmth and buried his face deeper into the fabric of the pillows.

 _'What are you not telling us?'_ was the unspoken question he wanted to voice out loud. Nathan was fairly certain if he was awake and more alert, Lucas would pull away from his harmless action with suspicion and unfamiliarity.

* * *

The Captain returned to the recreation room, “I am sorry, Ben, but you can scratch any further participation from Lucas for the next several hours and the remainder of the evening.”

They were surprised that Nathan had returned so quickly, especially after assuming that Lucas may be needing someone to talk to or listen to what was bothering him. Bridger was the only one that the teenager would allow to provide any level of comfort and support.

“Too exhausted to even wake when I knocked on the door and entered his room. He is sound asleep in his cabin,” Bridger informed them. For a few minutes, I was worried he might be coming down with a virus, but he didn't have a temperature. He couldn't even wake himself up to protest or object when I checked.”

Tim O'Neill looked down at the time on his watch, “But it is barely seven o'clock at night?” he stated.

“He looked exhausted this morning in the mess hall,” Kristin replied. “I should have checked up on him a little more throughout the day and made sure that he was taking better care of himself. His stitches and bruising needed checking again, so the opportunity was there to me to use subversion to achieve that. Unfortunately there was only so much hovering I could do before tempers were at risk of fraying.”

“Your not to blame, Kristin,” the Captain replied to the doctor. “None of us are. Despite the positive inroads we have already made collectively, the majority of the time Lucas is still keeping the doors to his world firmly closed.”

“I have a hunch about what has been going on over the past several days,” Ben spoke up. All eyes within the small group turned towards him, keen to hear his suggestions and ideas.

“You know what might be going on?” Bridger questioned. Shedding light on the problem would be most welcome. Ben was probably the most observant of any of them when it came to Lucas and noting his actions and moods. The boy had even shared a few of his angry and unhappy thoughts with the morale officer.

“Until now, that is all it has been based on a few little things that I have witnessed,” Krieg answered. “With your permission, I would like to conduct a little covert operation later tonight. Even as tired as you describe Lucas being now, I doubt his sleep will last long.

“It may take a little altering of my day shift roster for tomorrow, Sir,” Ben noted, “I will watch his nocturnal activities for a few hours without drawing attention to myself.

“Can that be done at such short notice, Commander?” Nathan asked Ford in relation to the duty roster.

“That can be arranged, Captain,” Ford confirmed. “The lieutenant can be given some extra time off during the day tomorrow to catch up on his own sleep.”

“Tomorrow morning, around breakfast time, let us all meet early in the Ward Room,” Krieg suggested. “I will make sure there is plenty of hot coffee on hand.”

“Commander Hitchcock will be on the Bridger at that time, Captain, so she would be capable of maintaining control as the crews commence their shift change. She would also be able to cover the time that you and I would be absent,” Ford explained. “I can inform her later in the day about what was discussed to keep her in the loop so to speak.”

“Does anybody else have any objections to this plan of action?” Bridger asked, looking over at Tim and Miguel. He didn't like them sacrificing their free time so early in the morning. From what Jonathan said about the roster and such an unorthodox method of surveillance, he was grateful for Ben's input about what might work.

“I will make the time whenever it needs to be, Nathan,” Kristin declared. For Lucas she was willing to be as flexible as necessary. She was apprehensive about how the teenager would react if he spotted Ben following him around.

Miguel was already thinking the same as Doctor Westphalen, “I don't envy the position you are going to be in Krieg when Lucas finds out what you are doing.”

“Same here, Ben, but I don't have a problem with turning up early before my shift begins,” Tim O'Neill replied.

“Thank you all for your co-operation,” Bridger said sincerely.

“If I fail and get it wrong, then my actions will only be a reflection on me, not anybody else. I am willing to take any flack from Lucas that may be headed my way if that happens,” Ben said in answer to their concerns about his shadowing activity being discovered.

“I will either be able to confirm or deny my theory of what the problem is with our young friend. However be warned, that if I am proven right, then none of us are going to be happy with what I have to to report,” he gave as a final remark.

* * *

Twenty minutes before nine o'clock at night, Ben Krieg and the Captain were having a discussion near the moon pool.

“Are you all set? Do you need anything else to carry this out?” Bridger asked. “I am about to head to my cabin in a few minutes to read.” It was going to be difficult not to be involved in Ben's plans, but he wanted to give the Lieutenant the best chance possible for this to work in their favour. With more than one person involved, they would probably both be discovered, and gain nothing for their efforts except an unhappy and distrusting teenager.

“No almost set, Sir,” Ben answered. “I don't really have a concrete point of attack in mind. Mostly I will be guided by what Lucas himself is doing, or wants to do. I just have to make sure that I stay out of sight and earshot. “I know your nerves are probably going to be on edge, but try and relax. I am doing this for him because I want to help Lucas, not set him against us.”

“Thank you,” Bridger said with genuine gratitude. He was thinking again that Ben definitely had his heart in the right place when it came to the teenager's well-being.

“Kristin reported that everybody in the science department should have finished their day's work and left the area within the next half an hour,” the Captain told him. “She didn't schedule anybody to do testing or sampling work tonight. It is going to be difficult for her not to check up on the both of you, but she understands the reasons why this is a one person operation.”

“Commander Ford gave me a run down on which crew members will be around tonight in specific areas for the night shift,” Krieg stated. “Tim and Miguel will have their usual day-shifts scheduled after the meeting in the Ward Room tomorrow morning. Both have offered any assistance during the night should I need it.”

“That goes double for me,” Bridger asserted. “If you need anything from me or if Lucas decides he wants to talk at any time tonight, you know where my door is. Good Luck.”

“I have one more stop to make on the Bridge,” Ben commented. “Katie is still there on duty, and I want to talk to her before my observing begins.”

Ben made his way towards the Bridge with a confidence to his footsteps.

“Good evening, Commander,” Krieg addressed Katie Hitchcock cheerfully, knowing that the tone of voice he was using would bug her to no end.

“Jonathan Ford told me you wanted to see me about something before my shift ended, Lieutenant,” she said in an authoritative voice.

“Then he should have told you that it is for a very good reason,” Ben countered. “I want you to give me the tablet device that you use to monitor the progress Lucas is making on repairing the door locks.”

“I don't really have any objection,” Katie replied with some puzzlement. “Why can't you ask Lucas for the one that I gave him?”

“I want to use it in the Ward Room tomorrow morning as part of the demonstration that I am setting up for the Captain and other crew members who will be present,” Ben answered. “I know you will be here so that Ford and Bridger can attend. I can't ask Lucas for the one you gave him, or he will become suspicious about what I am going to do tonight.”

“Lucas has been doing some good work, Ben,” Katie said in defence of the teenager. Her opinion had completely changed about his skills over the past few days.

Even she had to admit to being surprised that he had been working solidly and without complaint for a couple of days on the assigned task. When the Captain was trying to involve the teenager more into the day to day activities of the vessel, she felt a little ashamed about judging his ability based on his age. Since then she had seen first-hand for herself that he was quite capable of tackling some of the more complex computer bugs that had been plaguing them recently.

Commander Ford had him work on Miguel Ortiz's station when it was showing signs of malfunctioning. After offering to rewrite the coding and uploading the patch, the station continued to operate within normal parameters. Lucas had saved her team from needing to take on more additional work when they didn't have the technicians to spare at the moment. There was no monetary benefit coming him way for any of the assistance that he had been providing, which was a little unfair.

“I have no doubt about that, Commander,” Krieg returned. “I have the utmost belief in his abilities from what I have witnessed myself, but there is something else going on at the moment. Something that has me worried about him, and definitely has Bridger and Kristin concerned. No data will be altered or erased while it is in my possession. I promise to return it as soon as the meeting is finished.”

“I will be holding you to that, Lieutenant,” Katie said as she handed him the tablet, but held onto it for a few moments longer before releasing it to him.

Nowadays she was loathe to admit that Ben possessed a natural charm that often put others at ease. She had been one of those people to be drawn in when she married him. This time around she hoped that he would be able to help their newest crew member.

“I hope you can help figure out what is bothering Lucas,” she added, in a friendlier, more personal tone shared quietly between just the two of them.

* * *

By six a.m in the morning, Ben made his way towards _Mammal Engineering_ and Lucas' small cabin. It had been a long uneventful night, but during that time he had managed to confirm what strategy the teenager had been employing. Now came the time when he had to share what he had observed. Part of him wished he had noticed it before now and spoken up sooner, but hindsight was a fickle thing sometimes.

Before heading to the Ward Room to set up the meeting that the had arranged, he wanted to make sure that Lucas was in his cabin, and hoped that he would remain so for the next couple of hours. The kid had only gone to bed a short time ago, and there was a very real chance that he was still awake. Out of habit he knocked lightly on the door and waited for a reply, but was pleased when he didn't hear a voice on the other side inviting him in. Ben opened the door and silently entered, unable to shake the feeling that he was intruding.

Music was playing inside the small space, and Lucas was laying on the top bunk, facing towards the hatch door. Thankfully he was sleeping and hadn't heard his early morning visitor. Maybe his sleep wasn't quite deep enough yet, as Ben saw his facial expression change from being peaceful to a frown. There was no blanket covering him, but Krieg didn't want to take the risk of disturbing the teenager. Lucas mumbled something incoherently and tossed about restlessly, trying to find a comfortable position.

“Forgive me, but you can't keep going on like this,”Ben quietly pleaded with his sleeping friend. There was a sense of guilt associated with what he was about to do this morning, but the flip side of that same coin told him that as a good friend he had no choice.

* * *

Half an hour later, Ben was putting the finishing touches to the hot coffee that was brewing in the Ward Room. The cups were laid out in a neat row. Now all he had to do was wait.

Kristin was the first to arrive, “Good morning, Ben,” she greeted him warmly. Upon closer inspection of his face, she could see that he had kept up his end of the bargain and been awake all night.

“Morning Doc,” he said to her in return cheerfully. “Would you like a cup?”

“Definitely, but this time I will return the favour. You go sit at the table and I will bring you one along with my own in a minute,” she offered.

“Plenty of sugar this morning please,” he requested.

The Captain was the next person to arrive, “Hello to you both. I sure could use one of these myself,” he added, going about fixing his own coffee.

The three of them took up the same positions around the table they had occupied during the first meeting in this room. There was no awkwardness between them, but they hadn't brought up the question yet that was showing on each of their faces.

Bridger was about to speak as they waited for everybody else to join them, but the morale officer got in first.

“I just came from checking on him in his cabin,” Ben commented. “He was in there but hasn't been in there all that long. The music was playing again, but he was quite restless. I am hoping that he will stay asleep while we are in here.”

“I was going to go there myself, but kept chastising myself not to,” Kristin replied. “Let us hope that he does get some rest for a few hours.”

Before the Captain could make any further comment about him wanting to check on Lucas before coming to the Ward Room, Jonathan, Miguel and Tim all arrived together.

Morning pleasantries were exchanged between them, but nobody mentioned the early hour start to the day. The coffee pot was the first place they congregated around for a few moments, before taking their brews to the table to join in the discussion.

“So how did everything go?” Tim O'Neill asked casually, but then thought that perhaps he should have waited until Bridger had addressed them all.

“This is Ben's show this morning, so I am going to let him control everything that goes on in here,” Nathan commented. “I am sure we are all anxious to hear the outcome.”

Ben was about to stand up to talk, but then changed his mind. “Thank you, Sir. There isn't a right or wrong method to doing this today, but I have to conduct this in my own way.” As he glanced around the table, he was pleased to see people nodding their heads at his approach.

“I am going to tell you what I saw, but also mix in a few questions to each of you as I go,” Krieg informed the small group. “For those of you coming in after the Captain, Lucas is currently in his cabin sleeping, but has only been doing that for a short time.”

“Firstly, I want to point out that Lucas wasn't doing anything wrong last night. I mean none of us sitting around this table thought that anyway,” Ben started to explain. “Everything that I saw happening falls directly into the category of what I was talking about in the mess hall yesterday morning.”

“And what is that?” Miguel interrupted. “I don't think any of us thought he was doing something he shouldn't be.”

“Lucas is doing all of this to prove himself, and it would be safe to say that his actions were being done deliberately.” Ben answered plainly. “Or course he doesn't see it that way, and is probably trying to convince himself most of all. There were other reasons apparent too that I was right about too, but I will get to those shortly.”

“Let's start at the beginning of the night shall we, after most of you had gone back to your own cabins,” Ben began. “I finished talking to Katie on the Bridge about nine o'clock.” For the first time those gathered around the table could see an electronic tablet laying in front of Krieg. As he spoke, he was fidgeting and running his hands long the cover and spine.

It was assumed that he would bring up its purpose in time. Ben rarely used one in his day to day activities as Supply Officer, so its presence now was intriguing.

“Katie may have made the mistake of being dismissive and reluctant to let Lucas work on the computer systems a number of days ago, but she has definitely changed her tune since then. Last night she was telling me how happy she was with the help that he is giving. That has been the exception of course, compared to some other people in the last couple of days.”

“Unlike the Captain, I couldn't just stand outside the kid's cabin and wait until he made an appearance. There was no way to know what time he may show up or if he was going to come out of his room last night at all.” Bridger smiled at his Lieutenant over the reference of him having overheard Lucas' conversation with his mystery friend.

“Lucas may have been exhausted earlier in the night when you followed him, but it was only about fifteen minutes after I began my surveillance that he emerged from his cabin. Two hours sleep was all he probably gained in total, and I doubt that was anywhere near enough of what he should be getting. The first port of call was to spend twenty minutes with Darwin near the moon pool. He didn't bother using his vocorder, and was happy enough to pet and talk softly to the animal. I was too far away to hear the one-sided conversation.”

Kristin wore an expression on her face that demonstrated how less than happy she was with the amount of time that the teenager had been asleep. She refrained from interrupting Ben's report, but somehow they needed to come up with a better solution that was going to work about his sleeping pattern.

“After that, he walked to the mess hall, where he took advantage of the coffee pot like we are doing right now. After heating up one of the noodle packs, he sat at the same table as yesterday. The area was dark in there except for recessed lighting coming from the back of the kitchen. He didn't bother turning any other lights on and was content to spend the next thirty to forty minutes eating a small light dinner on his own.”

“I know he has only been on-board a short time and isn't exactly comfortable around us yet,” Tim remarked. “Surely it cannot be healthy for anybody to spend the majority of their time alone. How does someone his age become so accustomed to being in their own company?”

“I do know how you feel Tim, and I have asked myself that very same question before today,” Bridger replied. “Obviously it is a less than an ideal situation, but hopefully one that we can start working towards changing as a team.”

“Before ten p.m., he returned briefly to his cabin and grabbed the corresponding tablet device to this one, and the electronic tool he has been using to decipher the numerical code. There were still a few crew members moving about in the main corridors, so he chose one of the more isolated sections of the boat and began working away on those door locks. From what I could see, the time frame for each varied from forty minutes, to over an hour.”

“You will be a little more relieved to hear Doc, that the bruising to his hip wasn't causing him as much pain as it was two days ago. He went back to sitting in the middle of the grated floor for some of the time. Something definitely on the positive side in all of this.”

“Now, my first question is directed to you Commander,” Ben said to Jonathan Ford. “When Lucas first approached you to help, how many doors did you and Katie work out he would be able to accomplish?”

“Lucas came and saw me after he repaired your door lock, Krieg,” Ford answered. “That was before he even did the extra coding work on Miguel's station. And it was before he headed back up-world.”

“Yes I know that, but originally you told him that the number of doors that may need fixing was over two hundred. Since starting this little campaign of repairing the locks, how many do you estimate he should have completed by now?”

“Well that is a little difficult to do. When we found out he was injured, I didn't want to put any additional pressure on Lucas or make him feel obligated to do them when he wasn't feeling well. Doctor Westphalen would not have wanted him doing any task with his stitches being sore. The Captain was advising us that he wasn't sleeping a lot and wanted to allow him flexibility. Which I was prepared to do for as long as he needs.”

“He was the one who approached me in the mess hall over lunch about working on Miguel's station because we were short handed. Lucas has been fairly determined to keep contact with any of us to a minimum where he has a choice and there hasn't been a whole lot of time pass since then to make any great inroads,” Ford pointed out.

“I told him that I expected the whole process to take several months to finish them all, and that is a time frame that I am adhering to, given the number of other bugs that have been creeping through the systems lately. I have seen him standing in the corridor working on the problem at least once, but that wasn't for too long because he admitted that he was hurting. To answer your original question though, I would hazard a guess that he may have completed ten locks,” Jonathan presumed.

Ben picked up the tablet and turned it on, knowing Ford would be able to read the screen. “You know what this is of course,” he began for others around the table so they knew. “This is how Katie has been monitoring Lucas' progress.”

Jonathan nodded his head, “Yes, I showed this to him when he first started. Where he has to record the locks that he has repaired and the details, time and date stamp each entry and put his initials. I told him that it is necessary for all of that to be done because the brass uses the data to determine the budget that is allocated for such projects next time.”

“Take a look at this then,” Ben instructed, handing over the tablet, and waiting for Ford to scan the data. “I will let you tell everybody what you see with the maintenance work logs.”

Ford thought that Krieg may be exaggerating a little at first, but as he concentrated on what was in front of him, he reached a concerning and stark point when a pattern began to stand out. He emphasised his confusion more by sitting up straighter in the chair and using a finger to trail down the small screen.

Ford looked up briefly at Krieg, “There has to be at least.........,” falling silent again as he continued to read downwards.

Ben nodded, seeing that the man understood was he was trying to say. “Take a look at the time and date stamps too. They ones we are interested in are easy to identify.”

“There has to be at least twenty marked as being completed,” Ford said with complete amazement. “When did he find the time to do all of these, going by the time each of them were taking?”

“I counted closer to twenty five, but yes, at least that number that you mention,” Ben agreed. “All with his initials beside them.”

“Let me take a look at that, please,” Bridger instructed. Ford readily handed over the tablet, knowing that the Captain would be alarmed as he was. Kristin stood up from her chair and was looking over Nathan's shoulder.

“From what I was able to personally observe last night, he completed at least five overnight,” Ben informed them. “He stopped about three a.m. this morning, but I think that was because his leg was cramping up on him from sitting too long.”

* * *

Everyone seated in the room was stunned to hear Ben's version of events. Despite being over-tired earlier in the night according to the Captain's own words, Lucas had been working well in to the early morning hours.

“Where did he go after that, back to his cabin?” Kristin asked, starting to pick up on a worrying trend about the boy's work habits.

“Oh if only he did that,” Krieg reported. “He went back to the mess hall and had another cup of coffee. Then I followed him down into your department.”

“What was he doing in the science laboratories at that time of the morning?” Bridger queried. “There would not have been any experimenting going on for him to watch. In fact there should not have been any staff about at all.”

“There wasn't anybody about,” Ben confirmed. “He was in laboratory three, where all the living plants and the hydroponic system is set up. I couldn't get into the room itself without being spotted, but in his hand he was carrying a pen and some small labels and a roll of protective tape. He was only there about an hour before leaving. I didn't get a chance to check what work he was doing in there.”

“I know he was doing in there,” Kristin spoke up, drawing everyone's attention again as she sat down at the table. “I wanted to thank him personally yesterday for the efforts that he has been making. After breakfast, I didn't get the chance to see him until your party last night, Ben, and that seemed to be the wrong place to bring it up.”

“What has he been doing for you?” Nathan asked. “You told Ben and I that he was working on a software program to set up a scheduling program for your staff. And a way to allow them access to the database from more than one area at a time.”

“Yes, that is true, and what he negotiated with me to gain some time to work on his own experiments. As far as I am aware, he has not started those yet,” Kristin replied. “Jane, one of my technicians came up to me rather excited yesterday morning after breakfast when I returned to get started for the day. She thought I had done the work.”

“What work?” Tim O'Neill asked, though everybody else was thinking the same question.

“Although I haven't been able to establish an extensive testing and sampling schedule yet with my people, there were already hundreds and hundreds of specimens that had yet to be labelled. The laboratories house all of the natural specimens and all the geology samples and somehow, Lucas has taken the time to carefully and correctly label them all,” Kristin advised.

“How do you know it was him?” Miguel questioned. “Depending on how long he has been doing it, that would be a significant amount of writing to do. How does he know all the correct names?”

“Oh he is smart enough to know them, he and I played a little game before he went up-world,” Kristin said with a fond smile at the memory. “Computers maybe his true passion, but Lucas is a very bright boy and demonstrated a vast general knowledge of scientific terms. It was his distinctive neat and small hand-writing that gave away who had done it all.”

“The living plants and specimens in laboratory three was the only area that hadn't been done up until last night,” the doctor reported. “My staff would not have had the time to achieve that amount of the labelling for several more weeks at least. It was considered a lower priority in the scheme of other projects.”

“When he left the movie night and came down to my department, he told me that the software program for me was almost finished. He was trying to mask how he was feeling by telling at the time. But in the small conversation we shared, he was quite pleased that he was almost finished. He revealed that he shouldn't be long before he would be able to show me and my staff how to use it,” Kristin continued.

“You are not the only one he has been creating software for either,” Ben announced. “After fixing my own door lock, he has been working on creating a program for me to use for my inventory. This was something that only he and I knew he was working on. When I spoke to him earlier yesterday near the moon pool, he told me that it was finished as well.”

“That is some kind of work load that he has taken on,” Tim remarked, going over what had been discussed.

“Does anybody else here have any other work that he has been completing on their behalf?” Ben enquired.

“Lucas completed that coding work for my station and uploaded the patch,” Miguel mentioned. “He did ask to complete the coding in his own cabin from a downloaded file. Come the start of my shift the next morning, it had already been done. I spoke to Commander Ford about it.”

“Thats right,” Ford agreed, “Because I expected him to come and inform me once it was ready. He had anticipated that there was quite a few hours of work to do to fix the problem. In that instance there isn't any work log that would show how long he was working, or the times.”

Krieg continued to give details of his shadowing activities. “By that time I was getting a little drowsy myself and would have gladly joined him for the second cup of coffee in the mess hall. He was finished with the labelling and the door locks, and it was closer to four a.m. and I thought he might be heading to bed.”

“I assume he didn't do that?” Bridger commented. In the back of his mind he was still trying to add up all the different projects that he was working on, both for himself and the crew.

“No, he went back to sitting on the small staircase leading down to moon pool, leaning against the wall. Staring off into the water, deep in thought about something by himself. Darwin must have been out feeding at that time, but Lucas didn't make any effort to find out where the dolphin was at that hour. He didn't look like wanted company, but he desperately looked like he could use a friend or two,” Ben remarked with a touch of regret that he hadn't been able to make his presence known.

“He sat on those stairs for more than an hour. It was closer to five-thirty a.m. before he made any effort to go back to his cabin and attempt to sleep. Half an hour later, I am checking on him before coming here. “So after a long night, my gut feeling was unfortunately right,” Ben filled in.

“Here we have someone who is living through what can only be described as a very traumatic and uncertain time in his life, coupled together with being shoved amongst a virtual group of strangers. In his own words he is trying to fit in, so he spends time during the day in his cabin, working on these various projects for everyone. Pushing and pushing himself.”

“There you have stated previously, Captain, there has been too much upheaval for Lucas recently and not enough time for him to sort it out in his head. From incidents like what happened on the Bridge twice, like you mentioned, it is clear that he is still scared and afraid. Even though we have been doing everything we can to offer support, he isn't sure who he can turn to talk to.”

“We can probably collectively guess at a list as long as your arm of what might be on his mind. What is going to happen once his father becomes involved? How long he is going to be staying here on SeaQuest? Valid concerns, but short on any answers for Lucas to be satisfied with.

“Not only is he secretly working long hours throughout the day and keeping busy without many breaks in-between unless one of us is insisting or encouraging otherwise. We can see from those work logs for the door locks how many were completed and the times. At night time, he continues to working different hours opposite to everybody else, thinking that few people are going to notice. He is probably happy enough to work in the middle of the night because it means less people that he has to deal with.

“For the last several days, Kristin may have been taking great care of his physical injuries. And the Doc is probably in a much better position to stimulate his thirst for knowledge and cater to the high demand of his brain. The Captain has been doing his best to encourage him to eat more on a regular basis. Our best combined efforts haven't been a raving success yet, even with Don helping too.”

“As for sleeping, I would go so far to say that he is actively avoiding it,” Ben said. “All of that work and the stress that he is carrying around has culminated in what you saw last night, Captain, after he left the recreation room. That probably explains why he fell asleep in the mess hall yesterday morning. Maybe he mistimed going back to his cabin before being found out. Lucas is working himself too hard, just to fit in and to feel like he is contributing, but it is alsoto forget all the other uncertainty and turmoil he is facing.”

“Since learning the awful truth about what his father has been doing, I am sure that some of us have been asking the glaring question in front of us about how he is coping. How has he been doing that? It has been clear at times that he has taken a step backwards and hasn't been coping so great. At other times, it would be fair to say that he has been acting with a lot of maturity for someone his age. With some understanding of the burden head, we now have the answer staring us directly in the face.....” pausing and looking at the faces listening from around the table.

“Lucas is working himself into a state of exhaustion because it is the probably only way that he can gain a few hours of restful sleep during the early morning hours. Then the same relentless routine begins again all over again the next day. He is trying to compensate for the chaos, fear and anxiety that is going on inside of him. Why? Simple, he is doing everything he can to mask what he is feeling, and denying the battle within.”

The faces that stared back at Ben could scarcely believe the Morale Officer's very candid outline. Their emotions were a bubbling cauldron. The silence in the room was deafening as they digested everything that had been said to form their own personal points of view. And more importantly trying to gain a sense of what Lucas was putting himself through. Everybody at the table was stunned with the accuracy that was being thrown out onto the table in front of them about Lucas.

Ben spoke again, seeing that his words had hit home.

“I didn't tell you any of this to make anybody here feel guilty. That is not why I volunteered to do this in the first place,” he promised. “All of us seated here are trying to make a difference and become his friend, there is no denying that. And we have all been making some positive steps forward to help him adapt. But we have to be realistic that there is a long way to go and the road ahead is going to get a lot rougher before it smooths out. Lucas isn't exactly going to make it easier to gain his trust, or show on a map which direction he plans to go.”

Tim O'Neill asked the obvious question that they all wanted to ask, “What do we do then? Does anybody have any good suggestions?”

“We can't very well confront him out in the open about all of this,” Miguel pointed out. “And its not like he has been doing anything wrong, like you said Krieg.”

“You are correct Ortiz, we cannot say anything, because that would have the total opposite affect on him. He would only view anything like that as treason and with suspicion. It wouldn't be long before he would be trying to hide from everyone again, or maybe doing something worse. None of us wants that. This has to be handled very delicately and keeping Lucas' wants and needs as the focus on any solution,” Ben responded.

“Captain, I think this is where I throw the ball into your court,” Krieg said, turning to speak directly to Bridger.

“What did you have in mind?” Nathan asked, noting the Ben had already come up with at least a partial plan.

“Lucas needs to get totally off SeaQuest, even if it is only for short time or a few days. I know the schedule at the moment is crazy with everybody being under pressure to get the vessel fully operational. As Captain that falls to you most of all,” Krieg explained. “I know how important computers are to him, but it would act like a circuit breaker, giving him time away from anything that resembles work. Somehow we need to convince him that such a move is a good thing for a bit of true relaxation.”

“Even if that was remotely possible,” Ford interjected, trying to think how it could be achieved. “The Captain has been promising Lucas that he doesn't need to leave until he feels safe. Given the unknown situation with his father, that may be a tough ask.”

“Which is why the request has to come specifically from the Captain,” Ben agreed. “And wherever you decide is a good place. Lucas probably wouldn't go anywhere without you being there, Sir.”

Nathan was looking back at Ben, mulling everything over in his head. He also considered what Jonathan had said about the promises he had made to Lucas. He was adamant that the teenager wasn't leaving this vessel unless his safety could be guaranteed.

“With the software he had been working on for me complete, and the same with yours Kristin, maybe that will free up a little of his time. But he will probably find something else to fill that void left behind quickly enough,” Ben reasoned. “Assuming we can get him away for a break of some kind, when he comes back we approach things day by day until we can hammer out a better solution.”

Just as Ben finished speaking, the Captain's PAL communicator chirped.

“This is Bridger,” Nathan answered.”

“Sir, this is Hitchcock contacting you from the Bridge.”

“Is there a problem, Commander?” the Captain asked. Katie knew of the meeting they were having, and he doubted she would have felt it necessary to interrupt unless the matter was important.

“Chief Crocker just reported to me, Sir, that Lucas was speaking to him on the Bridge a short time ago,” Katie informed him. “I don't know how suspicious he was with O'Neill and Ortiz both missing from here as well.”

“That is only about two hours sleep he has had,” Kristin quietly commented, looking down at her watch and noting that the time was almost seven thirty in the morning.

“Did Crocker mention what he was there for?” Bridger asked. “Is he still there now?”

“Lucas was looking to speak to Commander Ford about the door locks, but couldn't find anybody about, including you, Sir. That probably seemed more than a little odd to him. Chief didn't want to outright lie to him either. Crocker told him that a few of you were having a meeting somewhere to explain you all being absent at the same time. I thought it prudent to let you all know that he may be headed that way because he did leave a few minutes ago. I don't know if he will go searching as far as the Ward Room.”

“Thank you, Commander, we will wrap things up here now, and go back to where we need to be,” Bridger advised her. “I will find Lucas after I leave here so he doesn't come looking for everyone. I will attend the Bridge just as soon as I can.”

“Yes, Sir,” Katie said, before ending the conversation.

“Well then, you all heard her, and we had better scatter,” Bridger said, getting up from the table. “Leave everything with me, Ben. I don't know what I am go to be able to arrange, but I will come and find you when I know more. Thank you everybody for your time this morning.”

The other crew members followed suit, getting up from the table. Coffee cups were now empty. The team members from the janitorial crew would take care of cleaning them and clearing them away and returning them ready in time for their next use.

Jonathan Ford and Miguel were the first two people to leave, telling the group that they were headed back to the Bridge.

“Mr O'Neill, when you start your day, can you please contact Admiral Noyce for me, and set up a conference with him. I want to be able to talk to him as soon as he has a spare moment,” Bridger instructed. “I will take that call in my quarters on a secure channel.”

“Yes, Sir,” Tim answered. “I will contact his office as soon as I leave here.” The young lieutenant then followed his fellow crew members, leaving the Ward Room and intending to start his shift.

Now there was only Ben Krieg and Kristin Westphalen left with the Captain. The expressions on their faces said so much that they didn't need to put how they were feeling into words.

“I am headed to bed and for a few hours of sleep myself,” Ben said tiredly. Krieg was pleased that everything was on the table, but not happy with the measures that needed to be taken to find out the answers. He had seen the concerns and worry on the faces of the Captain and the doctor as he spoke to the group.

Despite there being a small network of people involved, everybody was looking to the three of them to lead the charge. No matter how much support they had already offered to Lucas, and how many positive steps they had taken, they were both blaming themselves for not seeing the additional signs early enough.

“Ben, I can scarcely put into words how much I want to thank you for your efforts last night, and from the beginning,” Bridger said, trying to encapsulate the man's kindness as a friend into a sentence or two. “Please get some rest for a few hours today. I took what you said about trying to get Lucas away from here for some relaxation. I don't know how successful I am going to be. But if what I have in mind plays out, then I am going to need you soon.”

“You know you can count on me any time when it comes to doing anything for the kid,” Krieg promised. Giving Doctor Westphalen a cheeky grin as he left the two of them, and headed back to his own cabin.

“He really did some great detective work last night,” Kristin commented. She could see the concern for Lucas on Nathan's face, as she gave his shoulder a friendly squeeze.

“Yes, he did,” Nathan answered, “You have been too,” he added, turning to her and appreciating that she was just as invested in Lucas' well-being as he was.

“Nathan, when you do see Lucas, could you please send him down in med-bay. I would like to check on his stitches please,” Kristin reminded him. “I won't give away anything that was discussed here this morning.”

“What are you planning to do? Kristin queried, having heard the man tell Ben that he had formulated some kind of plan. After his instructions to Tim, she knew it involved the Admiral somehow.

“Bill said he was willing to help where he could,” Nathan stated, “So here is the first chance he is going to get to show he means it. I am going to call in one of the many markers he owes me. I will come and find you later,” he added cryptically.

* * *

_back in Bridger's quarters:_

“Thank you, Lieutenant,” Bridger said as he took the video-link call from his communications officer.

“Good Morning, Bill,” Nathan addressed him, in a tone that he knew his long time friend wouldn't be able to ignore.

“How is everything going on-board the SeaQuest, Nathan?” Admiral Noyce answered. “Sorry to disappoint you in saying that I don't have any more information at this stage about the case with Lawrence Wolenczak.”

“The vessel nor that poor excuse of a man is why I am contacting you this early, Bill,” Bridger stated. “Lucas is the focus though. You and I are going to have a little discussion about what is in his best interests.”

“How is he coping?” Noyce enquired. “What do you mean by saying his _'best interests',_ Nathan?”

Bridger spent the next several minutes giving the man an outline of the surveillance that Ben Krieg had carried out and the conclusions that he had drawn in direct answer to the Admiral's question. Nathan didn't leave any details out, and filled him in on the details of all the programming and other work that Lucas had secretly been doing for the crew.

The Captain also went on to explain about the two separate incidents that had occurred after Robert Cooper's departure. He described what Lucas had said to Ben about how he was feeling about his placement aboard SeaQuest. He also told Noyce about the trouble the teenager was experiencing first-hand about trying to fit in and the work load that he was placing on himself. Bridger was convinced that he owed it to Lucas to make sure that the Admiral was kept appraised of everything, no matter how difficult it was to accept.

The details of the movie night were truncated to protect Ben and the efforts he had gone to about creating a relaxing atmosphere. Nathan reinforced his earlier statement about how much fear Lucas was carrying around, by reiterating what Krieg had added.

“What do you want from me, Nathan?” Noyce asked. After hearing how exhausted the teenager was and given the uncertainty of the situation with his father, he wasn't going to have much of a choice. Guilt over his role from the beginning was strong, and he hadn't made any substantial moves yet towards making amends to Lucas.

“Time, Bill,” Bridger answered with a sly smile, “I know the maintenance schedule is shot due to the number of bugs that are still plaguing Commander Hitchcock and her team. You probably already have your little calendar full of days that you are marking off, waiting for us to be ready. However, this is about Lucas, and that is one area that I am not willing to compromise on at the moment. This time it is going to cost you.”

“Where would you take him if he agreed to go?” Noyce queried. Nathan had just informed him that he wanted to take Lucas away from the SeaQuest.

Bridger told him of his plan and where he was thinking of taking Lucas. “Kristin would probably come too if I asked her. When I first came on-board she told me had she had tried to find me to discuss my research. At the time she was quite skeptical that my location kept being reported as unreachable. Maybe it is time I showed them both what I have been partially working on for the past six years.”

Noyce spent the next few minutes thinking about Bridger's offer, and suggestions. He shuffled a number of the papers around on his desk as he tried to work out something that would suit all parties involved.

“I am prepared to give you what you seek, Nathan,” Noyce replied. “I think there is a way for you to get what you want, and for me to get the best use out of your crew and vessel while you are absent.”

“How so?” Bridger commented, in the back of his mind he was a little irked at Bill. _'There always has to be a catch'_ The man was still trying to figure out a way where the U.E.O. could take advantage of the situation.

Noyce could see the less than impressed expression on Bridger's face, and could see the man about to give him an earful. “Hear me out,” he pleaded first.

“The U.E.O. is desperate to see her back in the water operational, Nathan,” the Admiral pointed out. “Some smaller, undecided nations are looking to us to provide the proof that we can deliver the protections in the oceans that we promise. Then they will be quite happy to counted amongst the league of countries that have already joined in peace. After all that nasty business with Stark, we need to be seen as coming out on top again.”

“Not at the expense of Lucas' emotional and psychological well-being you don't,” Nathan shoved back defensively. “I am not going to let him be used as some pawn. We are doing everything we can here to prevent that at the moment with this father. I am not going to let you turn around and do exactly the same thing so you can gain some political ground.”

“No no, you have it all wrong, let me explain for a minute,” Noyce said, hearing the determined words, but knowing that his friend was more worried about Lucas than causing waves.

Bridger sat down at the small desk near the holographic screen, waiting to hear this idea that the Admiral was about to share.

“I am sure that you are aware of the Naval Air Station situated at Key West?” Bill prompted.

“I am familiar with the place, but haven't been there for a long time in an official capacity,” Nathan answered. “There have probably be a number of changes since I was there last. The last time was before Carol and I were told about Robert. I think he spent some time there during his training.”

“No doubt he probably did, Nathan,” Noyce agreed. “Referred to as N.A.S. Key West, it is recognized as a training facility for air-to-air combat fighter aircraft of all the military services. There have been a considerable number of changes of the top personnel there since you left the service, and Robert would have been stationed there after his time at the academy at Pearl Harbour.”

“What has that got to do with me wanting to get Lucas off SeaQuest for a break?” Bridger asked. Robert had wanted to fly since he was a very small child, and eventually he had seen that dream become a reality. Unfortunately his time as a pilot was short-lived, but now wasn't the time to spend wallowing on lost opportunities. He was still very proud of what he son had achieved, and that could never be taken away.

“Key West is chosen for that kind of training because the nearby aerial ranges offer favourable flying conditions in that area year round,” Noyce started a long-winded explanation. The station and the associated offshore air combat ranges are equipped with some of the most sophisticated combat training systems available. They can track and record all kinds of aerial manoeuvres.”

“On a broader scale, it also involves the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security including many of the other federal agencies that were overhauled when the U.E.O. came into effect. The United States Coast Guard,Air National Guard, Army National Guard units and allied military forces. There was so much red tape involved before with each of them having a slightly different mandate about operations and their mission.”

“The station plays host to quite a number of Fighter Squadrons, and a detachment that I know you and your crew will be more associated with, the Special Forces Underwater Operations. There is a school based there and their headquarters,” Noyce finished his monologue.

Bridger knew some of what Bill had spoken about. They both had first-hand dealings with a number of the personnel from some of those specialised branches during their younger years, and later when they became more senior figures of the service.

Nathan was about to repeat his question of _'What does that have to do with anything.....'_ before Bill finally brought up his idea.

“SeaQuest and your crew could head down there to Key West. You and Lucas would be close enough to leave for your break. Whilst you are away, I am sure that either Commander Ford or Commander Hitchcock would be in a position to be able to demonstrate her capabilities to a few senior military faces through her corridors.”

Bridger made sure that Bill could see his dramatic eye roll at the tactics he was employing. “How long are you planning for?” without making any firm commitment one way or the other about attending the station. “With a good speed and smooth conditions, the distance could be covered in about twenty four hours. But I would be looking to leave here earlier than that. I would have to talk to the both Commanders about what you are arranging at N.A.S.”

“I can give you four days, Nathan, sometime after that, once you have made your way back at Pearl, I plan on making a personal visit to SeaQuest. I won't be able to complete the tour in Key West due to some other important meetings that have been scheduled during that time,” the Admiral advised.

Bill Noyce then thought for a minute about Lucas' age, and added an alternative suggestion in case Florida was not a place that Bridger had in mind to take the break.

“If you wanted to take Lucas somewhere else, Nathan, then there are options there too. I can arrange some suitable accommodation for the three of you. A separate room each for Kristin and the boy and a private rental car to take them to some of the tourist spots. I am not up to speed with what the best adventure parks are, but I could do some digging on some teenager friendly places and activities.”

Nathan gave a small smirk, noting that the Admiral was doing his best, given the difficult pressures he was under, and coupled with his sudden request for leave at an inopportune moment. “Not an enormous amount of time by any stretch of the imagination, but I am thankful that you are giving it to me and it is a start I suppose,” Bridger said with gratitude.

“I am honestly not sure what fun activities he will want to do, but I was going to try the relaxation route first. I have a few ideas in mind that don't involve being on time or somewhere specific. Hopefully I will be able to stimulate his senses, but get him to slow down and take some time out. If Lucas wants to go to an adventure park or other touristy places, then that might be something else to consider for another time when the schedule isn't so hectic.”

“Since the vessel is going to be in that area anyway, on that fourth day, I may arrange for a few specific people to join us for a first _'unofficial'_ get together. We can all head back on the launch early on the fifth day. SeaQuest won't be that far away for us to meet back up with them and continue back before your arrival.”

“Are you finally prepared to let a few other people into your world, Nathan?” Noyce teased. Bill knew where his friend was intending to go, and knew that it was a huge step forward for the man.

The Admiral had personally scrutinised each of the crew members left over from Stark's darkest hour, and made the decision to leave some in their chosen roles. The two senior officers on-board were driven by their own aspiring ambition, their sense of duty and their desire to succeed. They relished situations that demanded a cool head, to take control, problem solve and think outside the box. Both Katie Hitchcock and Jonathan Ford were both highly respected and well qualified individuals, and hand-picked to provide a multi-faceted and dynamic challenge for Bridger. All fine qualities that would serve the SeaQuest and the rest of her crew on any mission.

Individually, they provided different approaches and methods of command. Together, they would bring out his best skills, and support him superbly in the role as Captain. Nathan had allowed some trust to grow between himself and some SeaQuest team members in such a short space of time. Bill could only view that as being something positive.

Bridger may say that he was doing this solely for Lucas', but it was also proving to be a huge benefit to himself as well. A man like him had so much to offer in life yet, both as a leader of a military vessel. And he was too valuable to lose for the contributions he was making in the scientific community with his dolphin research. More importantly, he had so much to offer someone younger as a teacher and a friend who would listen.

“I was only planning on inviting Lucas and Kristin if she is agreeable, but given how close we are going to be, it seems silly not to show them,” Bridger answered. “They wouldn't need a launch to get there from the SeaQuest. I have a know someone who conducts daily tours from Miami through to Key West. He will know where I am and be able to bring there.”

“When are you planning to leave the SeaQuest?” Noyce asked.

“I have to broach the subject with Kristin first, and Lucas most of all. Maybe they will both turn me down,” Nathan replied. “But if they do choose to come, I should be able to commandeer a launch before tomorrow morning. Doing it that way will cut down the travel time on the launch considerably.”

“I could arrange a helicopter to get the three of you there if you choose,” Noyce offered. “You are back to being a higher ranking naval officer now, Nathan. There are perks that are associated with that and can be utilised if you choose to do so. I used one of the Air Shuttles to get to you last time to invite you back.”

“Not at this stage, thank you,” Nathan said. He thought using either method was a little over the top, but want to stomp all over the Admiral's generosity, so he didn't voice that opinion out loud. “Lucas told me himself that he gets air sick quite frequently on planes. I am not sure if he has ever been on a helicopter before, but I imagine flying around in one may have a similar outcome. He has travelled on the launches before without feeling nauseous, so I will choose that method of transport.”

“Well I am sure you know him a little better by now than I do by now,” Noyce conceded. “I know you and Kristin will make the best choices you can on his behalf.”

“I am not so sure that Lucas is going to be all that happy to hear that you are planning to come on-board when we get back, Bill,” Bridger voiced. “I will omit that little detail until we return. Hopefully by then he will be better rested and be more willing to accept you being here in person. Maybe I can build it into the conversation during our break so that it isn't so much of a shock.”

“I will advise you as soon as the arrangements have been made,” the Admiral promised. “That should give you enough time to talk to Lucas about the reasons for my presence.”

“I will stay in touch and keep you informed,” Bridger stated, preparing to end the video-link call. There were a few things to do first before any trip could be organised.

“I will do the same, Nathan,” Noyce affirmed. “Hopefully I will hear some positive news from you before tomorrow. I will be in my office for the remainder of the day, and you know where to contact me after that. I may need to reach you while you are away in case there is any developments on the legal side of things.

After severing the connection, Bridger tried to make a mental list of the things he needed to do, and in what order. Of course he wanted to rush right down to the teenager's cabin, but that may not have the result that he was hoping to achieve. He needed an ally on his side first, so that would be his first point of call after leaving his quarters.

* * *

As Captain Bridger left his quarters, he used his PAL communicator to page Jonathan Ford on the Bridge.

“Yes, Sir?” Ford asked, answering the chirp from his corresponding personal communicating device.

“Jonathan, I am sorry that my meeting with Admiral Noyce took a lot longer than I originally planned, I have only just finished talking to him,” Bridger apologised. “I have to talk to Kristin down in the science department, then I will make my way to you. We have a new course to start plotting and I want to be under-way as soon as possible, please.”

“Acknowledged. A new course. Can I ask where we are headed to, Sir?” Ford queried. The Executive Officer had to admit that he was more than a little curious. Up until yesterday there had been no plans for the SeaQuest to head out into open waters.

“Somewhere nice and tropical, Commander, the Florida Keys,” Bridger answered. “I will be along to give you more details as soon as I can. There are some other things that need to be arranged before tomorrow morning.”

“I will start plotting the course now, Sir, and advise Commander Hitchcock,” Ford confirmed. _'The Florida Keys'_ that piqued his interest even more about what Noyce and the Captain had planned for the crew.

* * *

Now that he had spoken to Jonathan about setting a designated course, he could afford to take some more time for his next task this morning. He was headed down to the science department to talk to Kristin as he had advised Ford. He had to cross his fingers that she would be willing to listen to his unusual offer.

Entering the science laboratories, there were a number of Kristin's staff traversing the area with various pieces of paraphernalia in their possession. Test tubes and glass beakers were the accessory of the day. Bridger didn't know which area she would be in at this time of the day.

Luckily for the Captain, Kristin was in the small staff kitchenette, talking to one of her staff members. “Good morning, Nathan, I wasn't expecting to see you this early in the day down here,” the red-headed doctor greeted him. “This is one of my technicians, Jane Edwards,” she added in introduction.

“Nice to meet you, Captain, Sir,” the young woman said, feeling a little flustered at having to meet the person in charge of the whole vessel. “Doctor Westphalen has told me so much about you.”

“Painting me in a positive light, I hope,” Bridger said, giving her a warm smile. He could see she was nervous.

“Oh my, yes,” Jane replied enthusiastically. “She has told me about some of the remarkable work you have been doing with your dolphin,” she gushed.

“Thank you. I would love to talk to you more about it, but at another time. I am a little pressed for time this morning,” Bridger said with reluctance. He usually had a lot of patience and time when the subject was brought up and would share as much as he could. But unfortunately not today.

“Could I please speak to you privately?” Nathan asked Kristin. “I apologize Miss Edwards, the matter I want to discuss needs Doctor Westphalen's personal input,” he added tactfully.

“No problem, Captain, I have some work to carry out to fill my day,” the blond-haired woman said in response. “I will go over those samples you showed me this morning, and give you my best analysis by this afternoon.”

“Thank you, Jane,” Kristin said to her. “I look forward to hearing your thoughts and the data that came from the experiment that you have been conducting.”

The Captain and the doctor watched the young technician leave the kitchenette, leaving the two of them on their own. “A little over zealous at time, but she is a great worker and a tremendous asset to my staff.”

“Follow me to my office, Nathan,” Kristin instructed. As they walked, the doctor gave a verbal run down to some of the work that her and the scientific team were setting up in her department. After a short walk, they arrived outside a small door. The lettering on the outside had her name, her title as Chief Medical Officer, and as the head of the scientific personnel on-board, and a number of letters.

As they entered, Bridger couldn't help but read it all, impressed what he saw. “With all of your qualifications and the different hats you wear in this place, sooner or later you are going to need a bigger door,” he said with a good-natured laugh. He would have liked to heard more about the work she was planning to do, but he didn't have the time to indulge at the moment.

“How did your meeting with Admiral Noyce go?” Kristin asked as she offered him a seat. The Captain refused, not planning to stay all that long. “I assume whatever the two of you discussed is behind the reason for your visit into this area.”

Bridger didn't answer straight away, thinking for a moment, and trying to get the words in the correct order first.

“Surprisingly well,” Nathan commented casually. “I was expecting a lot less co-operation from him.” Then he decided that he was probably going to get this all wrong anyway.

Kristin could see his momentary hesitation, and wondered if the meeting had not gone as well as Nathan was telling her.

“What is your own work schedule like down here over the next few days?” he asked, knowing that Kristin liked to keep herself busy on a regular basis.

Kristin wasn't quite sure how to reply at first. Obviously there was more to his question than what could be drawn on face value. “I thought you were supposed to be working out a solution for Lucas. Why are you asking about my work schedule?”

Nathan threw caution to the wind and knew he would just have to lay all of his cards on the table. “Bill has been told about what has been happening. There still isn't any word from the legal department in relation to making Lawrence Wolenczak accountable for his actions. I have convinced him to give me four days leave to take Lucas away on a break away from SeaQuest.”

“That is good news. So you thought Ben's idea of him needing to get off the vessel had some merit,” Kristin remarked, still wondering how she fit into the plan. “Four days isn't a long time, but I guess anything is better than nothing.”

“Oh don't worry, it comes with whole list of strings attached of course,” Nathan said, his tone of voice having a slight edge to it. “I was able to negotiate the time away, but in return the SeaQuest and her crew are headed towards the Florida Keys today.”

“Today?” Kristin said in shock. “Why so soon?”

“Bill wants to show off the SeaQuest, ready or not to the personnel at the N.A.S. Station, located at Key West,” Bridger told her. “He wants to dangle a carrot in front of them to prove that she is capable and ready. The admiral is intending to use Jonathan and Katie as the glorified tour guides for these people.”

“I take it you don't approve of what he wants to do?” Kristin asked, still feeling a little lost in the conversation.

“That's the best part, I won't be there to have to worry about it. Jonathan thrives on that sort of military protocol, I don't. Katie will enjoy showing them all the technological advancements that are on-board, and know how to pronounce their names,” Nathan said with a grin. “I don't have to play Mr Nice Guy at all whilst they are on-board.”

“You don't?” Kristin asked sceptically. “Wouldn't Admiral Noyce want you to be there because you are the Captain? And I have it on good authority that you are a nice fellow once in a while,” she joked.

“I want the four days I have at my disposal to begin tomorrow morning,” Nathan explained. “I am intending to take a launch when we are closer. From there it will only be a few hours travel time. Bill was willing to provide a plane or helicopter, but I don't think Lucas would enjoy either mode of transport if given a choice.”

“Tomorrow morning is rather short notice, have you even discussed your plans with Lucas yet? Does he know where you intend to go for this break? Has he even agreed to go along?”

Nathan could see that she didn't quite understand what he was trying to say, and wasn't reading between the lines enough. “I came here to ask youto come along first.” He could see the impact his words had on her. “I need to know I have an ally on my side, before I do go and ask Lucas if he wants to come. I have no idea what I am going to do if he turns me down.”

Kristin shoved her hands deeply into the pockets of the white laboratory coat that she was wearing. If Nathan had been able to see her hands, he would note that they were clenched tightly together as fists.

“Nathan, I don't know what to say,” she replied, see the hopeful look on his face. There was a lot of work that she was supposed to be doing. “I am very flattered of course that you would consider asking me.”

“Say you will come,” he urged with a grin. He saw Kristin looking about her office, taking in what was sitting on her desk, and probably thinking about the rest of the expected workload. He could see the inner struggle of wanting to agree, but feeling guilty for her team needing to cover her absence.

“This is for Lucas, remember,” he pointed out. “He needs us to be working together as a team.”

“That is not even remotely fair,” Kristin tried to argue, knowing that by using the teenager's well-being as a bargaining chip, the man had practically guaranteed her co-operation. She wouldn't be able to turn down the chance to help Lucas. “Where are you intending to take him?”

“To the place you have been so keen to go to all these years. My place, my island. I can show you some of the research that I have been working on with Darwin,” Bridger answered. “Bill offered all kinds of teenager fun activities if I wanted them. Accommodation and vehicle hire. I turned him down, and told him that I don't think that is the type of break he is needing right now.”

“Four days it is,” Kristin said, reaching a decision and holding out her hand to seal the deal. “I will talk to my staff today and appoint someone to act in my place.”

“Thank you. There is plenty of room at the house, with enough guests rooms for you and Lucas,” Bridger informed her. “I will get Ben to make up enough supplies for us for that amount of time. Hopefully it will provide you with a little relaxation as well.”

“Do you really think he is going to agree?” Kristin asked. “Should we be taking anybody else with us?”

“The best I can do is ask him,” Bridger answered her first question. “He is still fearful about his father, so I honestly don't know how he is going to react when I ask. If he refuses, then all of the plans that I have going around in my head won't even be needed. I am not going to pressure him into leaving, even for a break he desperately needs, if he doesn't feel safe.”

“I told Bill, that since the SeaQuest is going to be based near Key West, on the fourth day, I intend to invite some of the crew to join us,” Nathan continued. “Only a select few that Lucas will feel comfortable with. If they come in the morning, then I can organise a few activities on the beach, and then end with a barbecue. Now that I am Captain again, I am going to have to allow people to get to know me better as well. Part of that is to lift the veil of secrecy that I have been clinging to about my island.”

“I thought about arranging for Ben to join us from tomorrow and pilot the launch, in case Lucas was looking for a friend a little closer to his own age,” Bridger commented. “But if he does agree to come, I think the two of us can manage to keep him occupied for the first few days without needing too much extra help.”

“Bill also advised me that when this little exercise in Key West is completed, then he is planning a personal inspection of SeaQuest,” Bridger forewarned. “I have no intentions of tell Lucas that today. That is something that the two of us are going to have to prepare him for.”

“That is not going to be a smooth or well received visit when the admiral does come on-board,” the doctor predicted.

“Tell me about it,” Bridger agreed. “But at the moment, I want to focus on one day at a time. Dealing with any of that is going to have to wait.”

“Are you going to ask Lucas to come once you leave here?” Kristin queried. “Do you want me to be present when you do so?”

“I am going to go and find him now,” Nathan answered. “Let me try asking on my own first, and see how that goes. I want him to be able to make the choice without feeling pressured or obligated.”

“Don't forget to remind Lucas when you do find him, that I want to check on his stitches,” Kristin reminded. “If you need me to help organise anything for the journey once he agrees, please come and tell me.”

“Thank you,” Nathan said as he opened the door to her office. “Keep your fingers crossed.”

“Good luck, because you are going to need it,” Kristin stated.

* * *

Leaving the science department, Bridger's stride was a little more confident. Kristin's positive response had been the first major hurdle to his plan, and he was grateful for her participation.

Looking down at his watch, the time was now nine a.m. in the morning, and the Captain headed toward _Mammal Engineering_ hoping that the teenager may be still in his cabin. Reaching the small hatch, he listened, trying to detect any music playing inside the room. He couldn't hear anything. He politely knocked and waited. After a few moments of continual silence, he opened the door, but alas the small cabin was empty.

Although Ben had reported him asleep earlier, now he was awake again and the time difference suggested that he wasn't maintaining a long enough period of rest. The Captain hoped that he hadn't chosen to start any work already today.

Bridger walked past the moon pool, but the teenager wasn't there. Darwin wasn't in the tank either, so his search continued.

Entering the mess hall, he inwardly relaxed when he spotted the person he was looking for, sitting at a table, facing away from him and talking quietly to the head chef, Don.

“Good Morning, Captain,” Don greeted him.

Lucas raised his head and turned in his seat at the mention of the Captain. “Hi,” he said with a slight smile. There was a fork in his hand, which he laid aside on the table.

“Come to join us for a coffee, Sir?” Don queried. “Lucas was just enjoying another one of my mother's recipes. Lasagne, made with loads of cheese on top. Probably the wrong time of the day for such a heavy dish, but our young friend here doesn't seem to mind.”

“No, I am afraid not, Don, maybe later. I have already had my two cup quota for the morning before ten a.m,” Nathan answered.

Bridger moved around to the other side of the table, taking in the almost finished plate of food in front of the teenager, and the half-empty glass of juice. He was very pleased to see him eating, no matter what it was.

“I hope I am not interrupting you from finishing, Lucas?” Bridger commented. “Carol used to make quite a mean lasagne herself. It is one of my favourites. I will have to try your mother's recipe sometime to compare, Don.”

“Anytime, Captain,” Don replied. “There is plenty available, and I will have to make a few new batches before the hordes descend on this place for dinner tonight. I asked this young man to be my taste tester for the morning, making sure that my efforts were satisfactory. Lucas here has been trying my first attempt of the day.”

“Are his efforts satisfactory, Lucas?” Bridger asked, playing along. It was great to hear that Don had taken positive steps forward this morning in encouraging the boy to eat. He may not have bothered if they waited for him to make the decision himself.

“It's great,” Lucas reported. “I don't think I am going to be able to do your portion sizing the justice it deserves, Don. But in my humble opinion, you can never have too much cheese,” he added with a grin. He picked up the glass and finished drinking the juice, but pushed the plate of remaining food away.

“No problem, Lucas, I think you did just great,” Don remarked. “Apart from judging my food, Captain, the two of us were sitting here discussing ex-wives. Or in his case, yet to be girlfriends,” he directed towards the shy teenager.

Lucas coped the joke and was happy enough to reject the premise with a healthy helping of sarcasm. “Let me see, fourteen years of age, the place where I currently live is classified, and I don't know how long I am going to be here. I don't have a driver's license or my own car , no money on hand to buy flowers or presents, and no job with a steady pay-check. I am not totally sure what poor girl would be interested with all those sparkling positive traits. I am definitely not looking at the moment, but maybe some day,” he added, laughing at the very suggestion.

 _'Thank the heavens for that'_ Bridger thought to himself, not wanting to dash the young man's romantic future entirely. There was enough on his plate at the moment, without trying to complicate it any further. Lucas didn't believe that where he was living was a permanent option, so that was an opinion that needed work in order to change.

“Please don't listen to any of Krieg's advice on that subject,” Don pleaded. Ben was a fine person and very charismatic when it came to paying attention to the ladies, but he was known for his many spectacular failing attempts at flirting. Although he had been married once, Ben wasn't ready for another serious relationship or settling down either.

Bridger and Lucas were both smirking at the chef's idle remark.

“Wherever Ben is right now, he probably feels like his ears are burning, and has no idea why,” Don commented casually, chuckling as he tried to envisage the indignant scowl on Krieg's face if he was seated at the same table.

Lucas stopped laughing, and turned his head, glancing around the room and towards the doors, “I haven't seen him yet this morning at all. Where is Ben today anyway?”

“I haven't seen him in here for breakfast either,” Don commented, but then saw the brief expression that crossed the Captain's face. Apparently Bridger knew the answer.

“I have some matters I need to attend to on the Bridge,” Nathan announced, skipping over the teenager's question about Ben. “I came in here because I was looking for you, Lucas.”

The teenager fired two short questions back at Bridger, “You did? About what?”

“Kristin wanted me to remind you that she needs to see you this morning,” Bridger answered. “When you are finished there, I have something I wanted to talk to you about in my quarters.”

The Captain's subterfuge didn't seem to working, with the boy's expression changing to one of suspicion. The part about Kristin was straightforward enough, he expected that she might be checking up on him sometime today. Bridger was being entirely too vague, and there was nothing accidental about the choice of venue. Bridger was choosing somewhere private for the two of them to _'talk',_ so his wariness level had been raised.

“I will come with you to the Bridge before going to see Kristin,” Lucas stated. “I want to talk to Commander Ford about the work that I have been doing for him.”

“Don, I have some other matters that I need to discuss with you later today as well,” Bridger commented, hoping that the chef wouldn't ask for him to elaborate in front of the teenager.

“I am always here, Captain,” Don answered, but didn't miss the expression on Lucas' face.

“Thank you for the food, Don,” Lucas said as he got up from the table, and headed out of the mess hall.

Maybe what the Captain wanted to talk to them about today was completely unrelated, but he could see the wheels of the teenager's sharp mind turning already. He hoped that Bridger didn't take too long to tell the boy what was going on.

* * *

As they walked to the Bridge, Lucas looked over at the Captain, waiting for him to start a conversation. When the man didn't, he knew something was definitely on his mind. Suspicion began to change into concern. Admiral Noyce may have been talking to Bridger, and that was the reason for the privacy and the hedging.

Approaching the dome doors to the Bridge, the siren wailed to signal their presence, and the hydraulics kicked into gear, slowly parting the two heavy structures and allowing them access.

“Captain on deck,” Chief Crocker announced and providing the appropriate salute of respect along with the other crew members present.

“As you were people,” Bridger responded, returning the gesture.

Commander Ford approached, “Good morning, Captain. And Lucas.”

“Good morning, Commander, how are the preparations going that I ordered?” Bridger questioned, deliberately leaving out the place name.

“Proceeding nicely, and we should be under way within the next hour, Sir,” Ford answered dutifully. “Commander Hitchcock has been informed of your orders, but I think she is waiting for a fuller explanation from you about our intended destination.”

“Morning,” Lucas said politely. “The SeaQuest is going somewhere?” Bridger may have a valid reason for being secretive, because he had orders of his own to carry out.

Bridger sighed inwardly, wishing that Lucas had not picked up on that so quickly until he had a chance for them to talk.

“Didn't you tell me that you wanted to discuss something with Commander Ford?” Bridger asked, changing the subject.

“You wanted to see me, Lucas?” Ford asked the teenager. In the back of his mind, he was going over everything that he had heard in the Ward Room.

“Ah, yes I did, but its not that important right now. It sounds like you and the Captain have other work to do,” Lucas replied. Back in the mess hall he had made a mental list of things he wanted to bring up to the Commander. Having heard that SeaQuest maybe going somewhere, he found his mind wandering and forgetting what they were.

There was one other matter that he did want to bring up before exiting the Bridge. Halfway through the silent walk he and the Captain had taken, Lucas realised that Bridger had completely glanced over his earlier question about Ben's whereabouts.

“Commander have you seen Ben this morning during your shift?” Lucas enquired. “I haven't seen him at all, and Don says he didn't have breakfast this morning either.”

“I did see Ben this morning,” Ford answered truthfully. “Krieg reported to me this morning that he didn't get much sleep last night, so he asked me to change his roster. He is in his cabin at the moment, catching up.” The man could see Lucas mulling over his answer, trying to decide if he was being told the full story or not.

“Was he feeling sick?” Lucas asked with concern. “Did anybody try and find out if something was bothering Ben?” Krieg wasn't the type of person to feign illness, or let a lot of things get under his skin. Usually his personality was the opposite and Ben was able to put a positive spin on most situations. If his friend was awake during the night, then there must have been a reason behind it.

Ford and Bridger were beginning to see Lucas' worry about his friend grow. They wished that he kept half of that for himself.

“I was planning on showing him the completed software program that I have been working on for him to help with his inventory system,” Lucas explained. “I was going to use a few hours this morning to demonstrate to him how to use it. But it is not urgent, it can wait. I went past his cabin when I first woke up to tell him, but nobody was there when I knocked. If he is sleeping now, I will wait until later in the day to tell him.”

“I am sure that Krieg is just fine, Lucas,” Ford said, trying to quell the teenager's worry for the absent Supply Officer. “Ben reported to a few of us, including the Captain that he was awake for a considerable amount of time last night.”

“That is correct, Ben did mention that, and he looked tired to me this morning,” Bridger commented, thankful that Jonathan had kept to the basic facts.

“Well I wish he had come and found me, I would have kept him company if he couldn't sleep,” Lucas remarked. “I was wandering the corridors myself last night at various times, but we didn't cross paths.” Both men were confirming what he already knew, but nobody was coming up with a valid enough reason.

“You were awake a lot last night too?” Bridger asked, trying to sound like the teenager's admission was something he was hearing for the first time. “Was there something bothering you that you want to talk about?”

“No,” Lucas answered a little too quickly. The one word response giving him away that some problem had been plaguing him. “Like I told you near the moon pool yesterday, sleep is over-rated. Some nights it takes quite a while for sleep to find me.” ' _If it ever does at all'_ echoing inside his brain.

The Captain and Commander exchanged knowing glances at the teenager's comment of having trouble sleeping. They were surprised at his minor slip and how honest he was being.

“I have some boring Captaincy work to do here for the next fifteen minutes,” he told the boy. “Why don't you head down to see Kristin and I will meet you in my quarters after that like we arranged?”

“Sure, I can do that,” Lucas replied. There was an air of mystery surrounding everything the Captain was doing this morning. “I will go and see Kristin before she comes looking for me.”

The two adult men watched the teenager walk towards the dome doors, but they also saw him turn his head around and look directly back at them with a questioning expression as he exited the Bridge. Thankfully all of the secrecy would soon be over.

* * *

“Lucas is already guessing that something is going on, Captain,” Ford pointed out. “He has this natural intuitiveness and can pick out small details that other people wouldn't even think twice about.”

“Yes, so I noticed,” Bridger commented in return. “Let's really hope that he agrees to my offer, because I haven't got an alternative plan to fall back on if he refuses.”

Ford was standing by respectfully, but like the teenager, he was hoping to hear a whole lot more about this plan that Bridger was hatching and counting on to work. He was the first crew member to be advised that the SeaQuest was pulling out of Pearl Harbour and headed elsewhere.

“Commander, I know you are wanting to know the details too,” Bridger started. “Admiral Noyce has given me four days leave. As I mentioned to you earlier, our destination is the Florida Keys. How long do you estimate before we reach them, taking into account the weather, ocean currents and the speed of the vessel?”

“From the calculations that I made over the last hour, Captain, I can report that we should cover that distance with no trouble. The seas around that area can be unpredictable this time of year, but we should be there within the next twenty-four to thirty hours.”

“Thank you, Jonathan, at this stage, I have managed to convince Doctor Westphalen to accompany me on this little excursion. Now it is just Lucas that I need to talk to,” Bridger explained. “The other _details_ that I hinted at, include arranging to borrow a sea launch for use in the early hours of tomorrow morning.”

“Kristin is speaking to her people now and appointing someone appropriate to take her place for that short time,” Bridger advised. “Once I have spoken to Lucas, I also need to have Ben arrange the launch and make sure that it is fully stocked. I told Don, the head chef that I need to speak to him as well, but couldn't give him any details yet because Lucas was in the mess hall finishing a meal.”

Ford was surprised that the Captain had spoken to the doctor and that she had agreed to come along. He would have thought that persuadingher would be just as tough as Lucas.

Walking over to his Captain's chair and sitting down, Bridger brought up a map of the Florida Keys area. “I gave you orders to head towards here,” he pointed out to his second-in-command. “I am sorry that I couldn't be more specific until now. This is where you and Commander Hitchcock will be headed to with the rest of the crew on-board.”

“Key West,” Ford recognized, following the Captain's finger trail.

“I am sure that I don't have to tell you or Katie what is there?” Bridger commented.

“N.A.S. Naval Station, Sir,” Jonathan answered, nodding his head. “I am familiar with the place and how big it is. I have been there, but I believe Katie has spent more time there than me.”

“That probably works more in my favour then, Commander, because I am going to ask you to be a gentleman on this occasion and for you to step aside for her,” Bridger replied. “When you reach Key West, I would like Commander Hitchcock to take over the Captaincy for that few short days.”

“Sir?” Ford questioned. He had no problem with Katie taking over the top job, she was a skilled officer. There were times when they co-operated together and shared command as Captain. Both of them were aspiring to reach such a rank in the future based on their service records and experience.

“Getting the leave from Admiral Noyce came with strings attached, just like I told Doctor Westphalen,” Bridger explained. “Upon arrival there, he is expecting either yourself or her to conduct a number of tours for some of the top brass and personnel there. The Admiral cannot be there himself due to other commitments, but he is wanting us to put on a good show for some of the ambassadors. He wants to show SeaQuest off, and prove to them that she is operational whenever we are needed.”

“I am certain Katie will relish the opportunity, Captain,” Ford remarked.

“You are a fine commanding officer, Jonathan, and I am not trying to steal your thunder, or take away your chance to command when I plan to be elsewhere,” Nathan asserted. “I thought her thorough knowledge of the SeaQuest's external and internal workings and electronic systems on this occasion were what the Admiral was looking for. I promise that was the only reason.”

“Will you be requiring anybody to pilot the launch for you, Captain?” Ford enquired. “I can arrange anybody you like. Tim O'Neill, Ben Krieg, even Miguel Ortiz all have the required experience and skill.”

“Thank you but no, I did consider asking Ben Krieg to accompany us, especially if Lucas does agree to come,” Bridger answered. “Upon further reflection, if he does say yes, I am going to pilot the launch myself, for just the three of us. I am sure that Ben will try and object loudly to being left behind.”

“Krieg will certainly be trying to put his name forward to pilot the launch,” Jonathan agreed. The Captain's assessment of the Morale officer wanting to go with them definitely correct.”

“I am planning to take Kristin and Lucas to my island, Jonathan,” Bridger stated. “I know that many of you have been curious about where it is. I don't want to broadcast its location to everybody in the world, but it has become apparent that I cannot keep it a secret forever either.”

“Wow, that is very generous of you, Sir,” Ford remarked. _'So, they were about to find out where this mysterious island was that Bridger had been living on before being lured back by Admiral Noyce'_ he thought to himself.

“The Admiral was offering other teenager friendly alternatives for Lucas, but I turned him down and told him that I have other more mundane ideas in mind,” Bridger explained further. “Plus with the SeaQuest being that close to home, Darwin can be allowed to make his own way back to the secluded lagoon he is familiar with. He will know where to go, and I hope that having him there will be of benefit to Lucas.”

“I will speak to Katie myself and tell her about taking over command in my absence. Unfortunately by doing that, she will have to wait just a little longer to find out the location of my island.”

“On the fourth day, I will make arrangements for yourself, and the members of our little network, including Ben to join me on my island, along with Kristin and Lucas. I will arrange for some additional supplies to be brought with you so that we can have a barbecue. It will be an overnight stay for those who choose to do so. I don't have enough extra guest rooms at the moment to offer everybody who comes, so tents and sleeping bags it is for those who agree to attend.”

“I cannot see there being many objections to that type of lodgings just for one night, Sir,” Ford responded. “Will we need to take a launch there as well and directions from you?” With this statement, he had already confirmed that he would be accepting the invitation. He couldn't deny that he was more than curious himself, and it offered a way of learning more about Bridger. The U.E.O. files on the Captain provided by Noyce may have given some background information, but that didn't make up for first-hand observations.

Bridger smirked widely at the Commander. “No, Jonathan, I am going to keep the location a surprise even from you a bit longer yet. Along with yourself and Ben Krieg, the other people to attend if they say yes are Miguel and Tim. I want to maintain a relaxed atmosphere by inviting crew members that Lucas is already comfortable spending time with, and keep the numbers low.”

“Once I have spoken to Lucas and he agrees to come, then I will approach Tim and Miguel in person to invite them along.”

“On that fourth morning, I will arrange for a man by the name of Eddie Adamson to pick up those attending from Key West, along with anything else that I will need. He is a long time friend, and has a large cruise boat called the _Sally._ He conducts daily tours that start from Miami and continue throughout the Florida Keys. He will know where to bring you.”

Glancing down at his watch, Nathan wrapped up their conversation. “Now I just have to talk to Lucas, and we have already past that fifteen minutes by several more. He will be waiting for me. Anything else that needs to be discussed, can wait until after I talk to him.”

“Good luck, Captain,” Ford said with sincerity, hoping the teenager would accept Bridger's plans were based on good intentions.

* * *

Lucas walked into the science department with his hands in his pockets, looking for Kristin. The doctor has finished a meeting with one of her senior staff members, Joshua Levine, asking if he would stand in for her as acting Medical officer. The reason for her absence was kept out of their discussions, and he didn't pursue matters further by asking her to explain.

Levine had gone back to his own duties, and Kristin was intending to talk to Jane Edwards again about some testing that she wanted to set up. Before she could search for Jane, Lucas approached her from the opposite direction.

“Morning, Doc, the Captain said that you wanted to see me,” he greeted her.

“Good morning, Lucas,” Kristin returned. “Yes, I did tell him that. Time to me to check those stitches of yours.”

“Do we really have to do that today?” the teenager asked with reluctance. “Every time I come down here, you only want take my blood or check up on me.”

“It won't take very long,” the doctor said, noting that he wasn't going to be combative as the two of them started walking towards med-bay. “Have you eaten today?”

“There you go asking that same question again,” he said in mock protest, but with a small smile. “I just came from the mess hall. Don and the Captain can vouch for my presence and confirm that I have eaten breakfast.” He was still getting used to her asking him about his meal times. One way or the other he was probably going to have to get used to it. Someone caring this much about his eating habits and general health was uncharted territory.

Kristin closed the door to the room as they entered, “Shirt please,” she instructed. “How have your pain levels been lately?”

“My hip isn't bothering me so much now. I can even sit down on the floor again, but it starts to ache if I stand too long in one position,” Lucas reported to her. “The stitches don't hurt, but they have been getting itchy.” Kristin didn't bring up that Ben had reported him sitting on the floor during the night, a few hours ago.

“That is a good sign that your stitches are healing properly,” Kristin informed him as she warmed her hands and began removing the protective coverings. “The bruising is still present, but it shouldn't get any worse or darker from this point. It is starting to show signs of changing colour on the outer edges, but may take another couple of weeks to disappear altogether.”

“My stitches don't pull when I am moving about now, or lean up against something. I don't feel them either when someone pokes or prods wrong,” Lucas stated, feeling her gentle touch.

“I am very pleased to hear that,” Kristin commented. “In another four or five days, these stitches should be ready to come out. I will make another assessment about them at that time.” The doctor noted that the teenager still needed to gain some weight. Internally, she was still berating his father for the punishment that he had endured.

“You can put your shirt back on now,” Kristin advised him. “Anything else going on that you haven't told me about this morning?”

“Nothing comes to mind,” Lucas affirmed. Then he thought for a minute and wondered if she knew about Ben. Seeing as how she was adamant about keeping tabs on everybody on-board, maybe she knew something about his friend.

“Can I ask you a question, Kristin?” The tone of his voice made her look up and give him her full attention.

“Of course you can,” the doctor said, finishing making a note in his file. It was the same voice laced with concern that he had used the night he had found Nathan asleep in his armchair.

“Do you know of anything that might be bothering Ben at the moment? I mean the guy is usually so outgoing about everything. Sounded rather odd to me.”

 _'Apart from being worried about you'_ she wanted to tell him. “I did see Ben, quite early this morning, he admitted to feeling tired. Why do you ask?”

“That is what Commander Ford and the Captain reported about him too,” Lucas replied. “I haven't seen him about today, and Don confirmed that he hadn't been to the mess hall for breakfast. When I was on the Bridge not too long ago, Ford confirmed that Ben had asked for his shift today to be altered. Apparently he is in his cabin now sleeping because he was awake for the majority of the night.”

“I am sure that Ben is fine, Lucas,” Kristin said, trying to quell his concern. “He organised the party that we attended last night and was pushing everybody else there to mingle and have a good time. This morning, he and I were sharing a cup of coffee and I didn't notice that anything was troubling him.”

“Yeah, well I hope that is the case then,” Lucas commented, pleased to hear the doctor's observations. Maybe he was just over-reacting. “Like I told the Captain and Commander Ford earlier on the Bridge, I was awake for a considerable amount of time last night as well, but I didn't see Ben about in the corridors anywhere.”

“What was causing you to lose sleep last night, may I ask?” Kristin queried, surprised that the teenager was owning up to his nocturnal habits.

“Whatever was keeping Ben awake can't be all that bad then, as you mentioned, he seemed fine at those other times,” Lucas stated, completely glossing over the doctor's question about himself. “Maybe I was worrying about nothing. Anyway I can't stay longer,” he added too quickly, avoiding any further chance to discuss his sleeping pattern.

Lucas headed to the door, but turned around to speak to her, “I promised you yesterday that the software program that I was creating for you was almost complete and ready for demonstration. I can now reveal that it is finished and I can show you and your staff when you are ready.”

“Thank you for doing that, and I know my staff will appreciate all the work you have done,” Kristin praised, unable to keep herself from making the next comment. “I hope you didn't push yourself too hard to get it finished?”

Kristin wanted to address the reason for his haste, but didn't want to create waves with the teenager. “Do you need to go somewhere now?” she asked. The doctor noted that it may not have been his concern about Ben, or her question about his own restless night that was causing him to act with some hesitation as he prepared to leave.

“The Captain asked me to meet him in his quarters when I was finished here with you,” Lucas told her. “He mentioned that there was something that he wanted to talk me about.”

The teenager had not suspected that Kristin already knew the reason behind Nathan's request.

“Do you know what he wants to talk to me about?” Lucas asked casually. “He wouldn't even give me the slightest hint or a clue.”

Kristin didn't want to outright lie to him, and released the breath that she was holding as he continued out the door of med-bay without expecting her answer.

 _'Nathan, you are doing to need all the luck you can get'_ she thought to herself.

* * *

Bridger was coming down the corridor to his own quarters, muttering to himself about being late, and predicting that Lucas may not be in such a charitable mood. To his surprise, the teenager himself turned the corner a few seconds later.

“Sorry, I got caught up talking to Kristin down in med-bay,” Lucas apologised. He was relieved to see that the Captain was only turning up now too. “I thought you may have been waiting around for me.”

The Captain gave a small laugh in return, “No, seems like we are both right on time. Here I was thinking that you were going to be waiting inside for me. I got caught up talking to Commander Ford a lot longer than I anticipated too.”

The two of them entered the spacious quarters together, with Nathan closing the door.

“You can take a seat on the new sofa, or wherever you feel most comfortable,” Bridger offered. The man was pacing back and forth, trying to mask his own wavering and stalling tactics.

“This is fine for now,” Lucas replied, choosing to sit on the chair beside the holographic desk.

“I trust that your check up with Kristin went smoothly enough?” Bridger asked with genuine curiosity.

From what he could see, the boy appeared to be in fairly good spirits, and had attended this impromptu meeting upon his own accord.

“Yeah, I told her that my hip wasn't giving me so much trouble now except for odd occasions when I stand up too long,” the teenager answered truthfully. “Kristin changed the dressings on my stitches and told me that she may be able to remove them soon. She made a few other comments too, but mostly a good report that everything is healing like it should.”

“I am very pleased to hear all of that coming from her,” Bridger remarked with a smile. “Even better to hear that you are not hurting so much any more.”

Ben's comments about what methods he was using to cope kept echoing back at him. Nathan was finding it difficult to form a structured sentence that wasn't going to make him sound like a bumbling idiot and tripping over his own words.

The vibe in the room between them started to change and the teenager couldn't shake the hairs on the back of his neck rising. The teenager was beginning to have that ' _deja vu'_ feeling all over again. When Bridger had told him about the crew finding out about his darkest secret. A feeling of dread began to emerge and descend, and he could scarcely sit still on the chair.

The expression on Lucas' face changed, and he wanted to get this over and done with. “Captain, what is going on?”

“That obvious huh,” Bridger said, stopping his pacing, knowing that his own nervousness in broaching the subject was causing the boy to become more suspicious about his true intentions.

 _'Just tell me'_ Lucas wanted to say, but he found his mouth drying out and he could hear the sound of his own heartbeat in his chest.

Bridger thought the best way to start was to applaud the efforts he had been making in general on the vessel to help others. “Word has reached my ears from a number of different sources about the great work that you have been doing here lately.”

Lucas was about to respond, but decided not to at the last minute, allowing the Captain to continue. He had no idea who had been talking about him or what they had been saying.

Unfortunately his next partial sentence could not have come out more wrong for Bridger.

“I have made arrangements for you to be able to leave the SeaQuest......,”

He didn't even finish before he noted the boy's complexion turn a few shades paler.

For a moment Lucas felt like all of the air had suddenly rushed out of his lungs at once. He stood up, his face a mixture of displeasure and borderline panic.

With great effort and restraint, and his voice completely devoid of any emotion, he responded as best he could, “I understand. I will go and get my stuff together.”

The teenager was about to take a large step backwards away the Captain, wanting to escape and not stay another minute in the room to embarrass himself. _You should have known better!_ he shouted harshly at himself.

Nathan placed his hand on the boy's arm, stopping him from leaving, but could feel the muscular tremours. _Fear_ that was what he was coursing strongly through his veins and feeding his insecurity. But why?

Bridger could see the crestfallen face and the sombre mood that was threatening to engulf him. He didn't want to allow Lucas leave upset this time, like he had done from med-bay a few days ago when Kristin and Ben were present.

Nathan noted the boy's attempt to avoid all eye contact and his efforts to withdraw from any kind of physical touch. “Hey hey, what is going on? Please talk to me for a minute,” he pleaded, trying to figure out the reason for the boy's sudden defensiveness.

The teenager's facial expression changed again briefly to one of contempt and defiance, “Don't concern yourself about me, _Captain!_ This is nothing that I haven't dealt with before. I guess I owe you something for putting up with me for this long. I have managed to get by on my own in the past.”

Bridger was taking him off SeaQuest permanently. By allowing himself to grow complacent in recent days, he had forgotten the most important rule that he had set for himself when first coming aboard. _Don't let anybody get too close._

In his mind, Bridger went over the words he had uttered, and then he was silently kicking himself for not making it clearer from the start. Any residual anger Lucas was holding onto, dissolved in an instant.

Slowly lifting his face towards the Captain, he was begging to understand the man's change of mind. Emotions threatening to take over any rational thought, “I don't have any place else to go,” Lucas whispered. _You promised that I wouldn't have to go back!_

“No, no, that is not what I meant at all,” Bridger pledged. “I am sorry, I should have worded my offer a whole lot better than that. Please forgive me.” The teenager thought that he was being removed from the boat. “I promised that you wouldn't need to leave here unless you felt safe, and I meant that,” he reiterated with emphasis.

Lucas stared back at the man, with a small voice screaming inside his head. For a few moments, the teenager didn't know if he could to believe him or not, but he was relying so much on and wanting this man's words to be truthful. Very few people had ever offered to help him before, and he found himself clinging to the very notion with an unquantifiable desperation. Bridger was the first man that he had begun to trust or laid any kind of hope in being able to keep him safe from his father.

“I am so sorry, Lucas,” the Captain beseeched. “I was trying to mix up my words and sound positive about how much I have appreciated the work you have been doing on-board lately. In the end all I did was the exact opposite.”

“I am going to take a break from SeaQuest for four days, starting from tomorrow morning. I asked you to come in here to talk because I wanted to ask you in person to come with me,” Nathan revealed.

“But I thought that you.....,” unable to finish the sentence. Solace was pouring out of him, and his limbs felt like they were turning to jelly. He stumbled backwards, forcing himself to sit down in the chair before he ended up on the floor in an untidy heap. He was unable to hide the sheer relief from his face and body language.

Bridger pulled the other chair near the desk over beside him, sitting down and leaning in closer, and giving the teenager all the time he needed to recover. He wanted to keep apologising and keep saying the word _'sorry'_ but that wasn't the answer Lucas was seeking right now. He placed a supportive arm across the teenager's slim shoulders.

“For a minute there........,” Lucas began but stopped. “My heart and brain always think the worst first and occasionally jump to the wrong conclusion. Like I have mentioned before, it is something that happens automatically,” he added with a hollow laugh. Slowly he exhaled, letting out a breath and demonstrating how much fear he had been holding inside for those few brief moments.

“You are not going back to him,” Nathan reassured him, placing his free hand over the boy's and squeezing gently, meaning it as an unspoken solemn vow. He was delighted to feel the teenager return the gesture with his own hand and grasp his tightly in silent thanks.

* * *

Bridger allowed the teenager some time to regain some composure, berating himself for such a monumental blunder.

“Let me ask you again,” Nathan began speaking softly. “And this time I will do it properly.”

Lucas gave a small smile in return, feeling stupid for such an over-reaction, but knowing that the emotions had bubbled up too quickly and taken control away from him.

“Lucas, I am going to be taking a small break away from SeaQuest starting from tomorrow morning. I would like to invite you to come along.”

Before answering, the teenager decided to do a little more background checking and ask a couple of questions of his own. “What is this break you are talking about taking all about? Why did you decide that now was a good time to do it?”

In the back of his mind, he remembered about finding Bridger asleep in his quarters early one evening. He had even mentioned to Kristin that it can't be easy doing his job all of the time. Even though he had only reclaimed the Captaincy of the vessel in recent weeks, maybe he was feeling tired and stressed. The answer might be taking a few days to relax and recharge.

The Captain didn't want to dob Ben in completely or blurt out that he was the one needing to take a break.

“Admiral Noyce needs SeaQuest to start travelling towards the Florida Keys today, and be ready to give a demonstration to some military personnel and foreign ambassadors over a few days. Commander Hitchcock is going to be asked to show them around and be tour guide. I want to get away while the maintenance work on-board is coming to an end and she is fully operational. After that time, this place is going to get too busy with new missions for me to be able to take leave.”

“Where are you planning to go?” Lucas asked, pulling his hand away from Bridger, and standing up. He was trying to get the blood circulating again through his system, and quash any lingering anxiety.

“Well since I we are going to be in that vicinity, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to go home to my place,” Bridger answered with a smile. “I was going to show you around my island?”

“Your island? The one that you have been trying so hard to keep a secret all this time,” Lucas teased lightly, still silently deciding if he did want to accept. The Captain noted that he hadn't answered yet.

The teenager was rubbing his hands together, “What would we be doing there if I decide to go?” unable to stop fidgeting as he tried his best to to explain the reason for his cautiousness. Looking back up at Bridger as he spoke, “Nobody has ever asked me to go anywhere before,” he admitted.

With that statement, Nathan could see that it wasn't a simple case of saying yes or no to his invitation for Lucas, and he understood better the reason for his delay in answering. “Relaxing mostly and slowing down to take in the salt air and the warm water.”

“I thought we could both use some good company ourselves, so it wouldn't be just me and you going,” Bridger forewarned, “I thought there was someone else here on-board who has been under pressure too and could use some down-time too.”

“Who else did you invite?” Lucas asked, more than curious. At least that meant that the Captain wasn't doing this purely for his benefit.

“I asked Kristin, and she readily subscribed to the idea,” Bridger replied. “She had been trying to find my island and talk about my research before even coming on-board SeaQuest. I think you will agree that she has been doing some long hours as head of the science department.”

“Not to mention having to play doctor to me at the same time,” Lucas interjected. Then deliberately taking a deep breath, he gave the Captain his answer. “I will come with you.” _My father shouldn't be able to find me on a secluded island in the middle of the ocean._

“You will?” Bridger said enthusiastically with a grin, but wanting to double check the teenager was comfortable with the decision he was making.

“Yes, I don't have any ideas that I can contribute, but I mean it could be fun. I don't know if you have enough room at your place,” Lucas said jokingly, some butterflies of excitement of his own beginning to form at the prospect of going to a new place connected directly to the Captain. Up until now the man had been adamant about keeping his personal sanctuary a secret, so to be invited, along with Kristin was something completely outside the box and unexpected.

“That is great,” Nathan confirmed, very pleased after the disastrous start he had been facing. “We have spend quite a bit of time today getting everything organised, but we have enough hands to get sorted.

“The weather should be to our advantage this time of year. The rains are a month or two away and the humidity should be fairly low. Have you ever been to Florida or the anywhere near the keys?”

“No, I haven't travelled much at all before, and only remember living in California,” Lucas answered.

“Our aquatic friend will be joining us too. Once the SeaQuest reaches the warmer waters of the Florida Keys, I will let him out, and he can swim home. It will take a few hours for us to cover the same distance in one of the launches. Don't worry, Darwin knows the way better than I do and will probably beat us there.”

“Darwin is coming too?” Lucas asked the rhetorical question, but then his grin dipped a little, “I won't be able to go swimming with him once we are there though, due to my stitches.”

The Captain had just confirmed that the mammal would be joining them, which was so great. He hadn't even given any thought to the dolphin being left behind, and he would have felt guilty in doing so. There were plenty of people on-board who would offer to take care of him, but it wouldn't be the same thing.

“You will be able to see and interact with him everyday, even if you can't get into the water. There is no way I would be able to stop Darwin from going home, when we are going to be so close,” Bridger commented. “The lagoon is his natural environment and familiar to him and where is spent the most amount of time with me.”

“Well I will help out where I can about getting ready,” Lucas proclaimed. “This whole idea is your brainstorm, but I think there is someone else that should be considered for needing a break too.”

“Who?” Bridger replied, noting that the teenager had someone specific in mind.

“I think that Ben may need a break away from here too,” Lucas replied. “I was worried when you and Commander Ford mentioned about him not sleeping well all of last night.”

Bridger gave a smile at the teenager's thoughtfulness, “Admiral Noyce isn't going to let all of my team go away all at the same time, especially when he is trying to show her off. But don't worry, I already thought ahead for you about Ben.”

“You did?”

“Yes, and I do agree that he has been working hard around here, a lot of the crew have been, given the amount of maintenance that has been necessary. And the continual problems with some areas,” Nathan explained. “On the last morning, I will make arrangements for a friend of mine to pick up a few crew members that I will be inviting along to a barbecue that I plan to host on the last night. Only a few people will be invited to begin with, I am still trying to keep the location of my island a secret for a little while longer.”

“That sounds neat,” Lucas stated. It sounded like the Captain had thought things through fairly well in relation to Darwin and addressing the problem of other people wanting to come along too.

“I expect for Ben to protest loudly at not being able to go, and I did honestly consider bringing him along from the beginning. However, for the next few days, I will only be inviting you, Kristin and Darwin of course. That will allow the three of us to enjoy a few days without worrying about any work or needing a schedule.”

“Have you ever been on vacation before, Lucas?”

The teenager gave an unfinished response as the two of them started walking out of the Captain's quarters and into the corridor.

“Nope, never.......” the teenager replied casually, as though it didn't make a difference or matter.

Lucas failed to note the disquieted expression on Bridger's face in hearing the answer to his question. Such lost opportunities during person's childhood could never be gained or replaced. Parents were only blessed with so many chances involving their children and to make them count. Lawrence Wolenczak couldn't even be bothered to make the effort in his young son's life.

“Let's go and tell everybody our good news,” Bridger suggested. “After that, you and I need to start making a list of everything we are going to be taking with us, and anything we could possibly need over four days.”

To be continued..............................

Jules

**Author Notes:**

Sorry folks, Lucas isn't around a lot in this chapter except for a few scenes apart from sleeping. I am still building everything very carefully and slowly towards certain points and I am deliberately taking my time to do it. There are lots of new hints and clues left behind in many scenes for later.

The next chapter will be learning all about Bridger's Island for future reference in many plots. I am not sure yet if it everything will be covered in one chapter or if there will need to be two. There will be a lot of Bridger and Lucas spending time together. The next chapter will not only introduce the island, but some new and multiple permanent characters.

In a few places now, I have made specific mentions of certain dishes. I know during SeaQuest episodes that real meat products like beef had been outlawed and illegal. I also know that they had meat substitutes, hydroponically grown, modified and genetically altered foods. So any meals in earlier chapters, this one or in future ones, that are meant to look like dishes containing meat, for example lasagne, that we would know now are meant to look like those we would be familiar with. I know some of these dishes could be done without the meat or to look differently, but that is not what I have chosen for now. Please note that any dishes containing cheese are purely invented by me for the story and characters (I cannot consume any dairy foods at all).

The question from Bridger to Lucas directly about whether he has been to Florida before, has specific meaning and reference to a future story _**Triggering the Nightmare**_

The ending scene between Lucas and Bridger was only a slight homage to the episode _**Whale Song**_ where Nathan tells Lucas that he is getting pulled off SeaQuest for other reasons. Lucas is still believing that the whole idea of being on SeaQuest is temporary, no matter how many promises he gets and from who. I need that to continue for a while yet, so I wanted that to be his first reaction to Bridger's poorly worded offer for a break.

In that brief moment, Lucas forgot about the offer from his friend Shep that was made about coming and staying with him if he needed to.

Thank you for reading. Enjoy. Any reviews gratefully accepted and cherished forever. This story still has quite a while to go yet. The good stuff is yet to come. There isn't so much hurt in this story for Lucas, but hopefully the angst will start to ramp up nicely. There is a lot more of that to come yet.

Tribute to Richard Herd – Admiral William Noyce – passed away 26th May 2020. Thank you for the memories, your character will live on in my pages and stories forever.

Jules

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please see the author notes at the end of this story.


	5. Preparations For Leaving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bridger decides that he needs to make some definitive plans to solve the problems they have discovered plaguing the youngest crew member. Story Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please see author notes at the beginning of this story.

**THE GREEN PEN**

**By Jules**

**Author Notes –** thank you for everybody who is still reading. It truly means a lot that people are reading after such a long time of being away. I hope you enjoy this next instalment.

This is the second story in my new series, and it would be helpful for you to read **Please Tell Someone** as this story continues straight into a new page from the ending scenes of that story.

This particular chapter does not have a lot more action happening, but is necessary to set up some of the key events yet to come later in this story and others into the future. There is a lot to cover and introduce, so hopefully I will to it so you can follow easily enough.

The reason for this title will not become apparent until much later in the story, but was thought of ten (10) years ago or more, when the original plot came to me long before I added in the new adoption arc.

Any legal references, laws, requirements for reporting abuse, the steps taken afterwards, court proceedings and outcomes and interview protocols are all fictional. Some are based loosely on real laws and circumstances, but a lot are fabricated to suit my story only and have been changed to suit the plot I have derived. The same with which authorities are involved and their individual roles and responsibilities.

With some of my medical procedures, I have used real techniques and treatments to a certain extent, but there are some that are completely invented for my stories as well and are totally fictional and should not be used for real people. They are used to progress my stories and include for specific scenes as required.

Given that SeaQuest is set in the future, medical technology would have changed greatly, with new procedures and medications and medicines being discovered and put into practice.

**Chapter Five – Preparations For Leaving**

_towards the end of the previous chapter:_

“ _Let's go and tell everybody our good news,” Bridger suggested. “After that, you and I need to start making a list of everything we are going to be taking with us, and anything we could possibly need over four days.”_

_And now the story continues:_

After giving Lucas a few more minutes to get over the shock of his poorly worded invitation, Bridger left his own quarters in the company of the teenager, both heading to the front of the vessel. The Captain had been expecting the boy to be full of questions about what they were going to be doing on their short break away, but was surprised when that didn't eventuate.

Nathan could tell by the expression on his face, that Lucas was definitely mulling over something on his mind, but whatever the reason was, he wasn't sharing. As they passed by the moon pool, a few members of Kristin's science team were in the immediate area, conducting work.

Bridger approached the dome doors, the expectant siren wailed, promptly followed by Chief Crocker's dutiful announcement of, “ _Captain on Deck”,_ showing the proper courtesy and respect.

Commander Ford had been talking to Miguel Ortiz as the Captain entered, but postponed any further discussions and approached his Commanding Officer. “Captain, Sir,” he cordially greeted the man. Bridger seemed quite pleased with himself, so he could only assume that his talk with Lucas had ended positively in his favour.

“I have some news, Commander, or should I say, ' _we'_ have some news,” Bridger stated, expecting the teenager to have followed and be standing only a few steps behind him and sharing their good fortune.

“We, Sir?” Jonathan queried, not seeing anybody else standing alongside him.

The Captain was puzzled by the man's question until he noticed that Lucas was nowhere to be seen. He turned back towards the dome doors, but there was only Crocker standing nearby. “I could have sworn.....,” he began to say, but didn't finish the comment.

“Lucas was headed here with me after we left my quarters, but perhaps it is better to organize a short impromptu meeting in the Ward Room,” Bridger explained. “For those directly involved, Commander. Yourself, Mr Ortiz, and Mr O'Neill, for about ten minutes of your time. I will locate our wayward teenager and Doctor Westphalen and have them meet us there as well.”

“Noted, Sir, and we will be there momentarily,” the dark-skinned Commander answered. He watched the Captain leave the Bridge again, and approached Miguel and Tim, telling them quietly about the meeting about to take place in the Ward Room.

Nathan walked back in the direction he had come from, spotting Lucas standing near the moon pool and talking quietly to Kristin. She must have spotted him and stopped him to talk, interrupting his continuation to the Bridge. “There you are. I got to the Bridge before I realised you were missing.”

“Sorry, I got side-tracked for a minute,” the teenager gave in apology. “I was intending to get a drink from the mess hall.”

“No matter, I may as well let both of you know together, there is a small meeting about to take place in the Ward Room in approximately ten minutes. What I want to discuss won't take long, and there is only going to be a few people present,” the Captain informed them. “Grab your drink, and meet us there please?”

“Sure, I can do that,” Lucas readily agreed, changing direction and heading towards the mess hall. Thankfully, his mood and tone of voice had definitely changed from what it had been only half an hour ago.

Bridger and Kristin watched him leave the area for a few seconds. Nathan walked a few steps towards the moon pool and leaned on the edge, the tension across his shoulders noticeable to Kristin. Darwin was currently swimming outside in the open ocean.

“If it wasn't for the fact that I have finished speaking to Lucas about going away on this short break, from the downcast look on your face, one could be safe in assuming that he had rejected your offer,” she commented. “Something troubling you that you want to share?”

“It nearly went so very badly, Kristin,” Bridger told her quietly, the emotion and guilt in his voice evident. At first Kristin thought that he might have been over-reacting, but she could see that was not the case at all. The current body language and facial expression were all wrong for the man.

The Captain looked back at her and decided she deserved to hear the truth. “I was trying sound tactful and persuasive when bringing up the subject, but in the end all I did was make him feel distrustful and fearful. For a moment, he wanted to get as far away from me as possible, and was almost running to get out of the room.”

“What happened?” the red-haired doctor asked, recognizing that whatever had occurred, wasn't so trivial to Nathan. She wanted to be supportive and was trying to understand without carelessly ignoring or brushing aside his train of thought. Sometimes, the strongest people had their hardened exterior take a beating. Even with the best of intentions and planning to do the right thing; unpredictability could cause miscommunication.

Bridger didn't want to repeat word for word what he had said, and instead gave her the blunt end of the conversation. “Lucas thought I was going to be removing him from SeaQuest, permanently. Can you even image that? Even after the numerous assurances and promises following what we have discovered about his home life. I never want to see that combination of disappointment and accusation directed towards me again.”

“The worst part was that, somehow, he was accepting that such a decision had been made without him, and that he owed a debt to others for putting up with him. How am I supposed to respond, when he looks back at me and proclaims _'that he doesn't have anywhere else to go'?_ ” Nathan asked rhetorically, not expecting her to answer.

“I am quite confident when I state, that what you said to him would have been construed as a misunderstanding,” Kristin replied, trying to give the situation a small positive spin. She hadn't been given a full account, but as far as she was concerned, there didn't need to be. With Lucas' state of mind over the past few days, it wouldn't have taken much for him to jump to the wrong conclusion and feel hurt as the result. Thankfully, everything must have been corrected, and the boy had been made aware of the true nature of his intentions.

“When we were talking here together only a few minutes ago, he was a little apprehensive. But, I think that was because this is a whole new experience for him, not because of some mistake you made. Come on, let's get to your meeting and you will be able to see for yourself,” she encouraged. “He may not have been cheering out loud, but from my own observations, Lucas was genuinely excited about going.”

Nathan stood up, glancing back at the doctor, and saw conviction and belief in what she was saying to him. She wasn't trying to downplay his sense of inadequacy in a parental role or dampen his poor choice of words to say, as though none of it mattered at all. However, she wasn't about to let him wallow in his own self-pity either. Kristin was giving him both a pep talk and the kick up the butt at the same time that he needed.

“Thanks,” was all he said, meant partly as an apology, and mostly in gratitude. Nothing else needed to be exchanged between them.

Both of them headed to the Ward Room, ready to make their news public.

* * *

Lucas ambled into the mess hall, not expecting find many people about since it was past breakfast time. He was pleasantly surprised to see a dark-haired Ben Krieg seated at one of the tables, sharing a cup of coffee with the Head Chef, Don. He continued over to one of the new drink fridges, and retrieved a plastic bottle before joining the two men.

“Lucas,” Ben greeted him as he put down his empty cup. “Just finishing up here.”

“Hey, Ben,” the teenager replied, watching the man's face carefully to see if he could detect anything going on with his friend without asking a direct question. He took the top off the juice bottle and drank from it, hoping to mask his actions from appearing too deliberate.

“Good to see you come back like you promised, Lucas,” Don said in greeting, though a little surprised to see the teenager so soon.

“Come back?” Krieg asked. “Have you had breakfast today?”

“Why does everybody keep asking me that question?” Lucas responded with slight annoyance, not wanting to sound like he was complaining. “Yes, thank you I have, and Don there can be my character witness to the fact that I have eaten at least once today already.”

“He was enjoying, and put a good dent in a dish of my mother's home-made lasagne recipe that I have planned for tonight's menu, Ben,” Don confirmed.

“Lasagne? For breakfast?” Ben queried with a chuckle. “Are you attempting to corrupt him with your mother's cooking at every opportunity? And yet again I don't recall that special offer being made to me this morning as a choice?”

“You won't be getting any with that attitude either, Krieg,” Don chastised as he got up from the table. “Lucas volunteered to be my taste tester for the day. Like I told your Captain when he came across us in here earlier, we were talking some serious matters, namely ex-wives and girlfriends.”

“You were not?” Ben challenged, but looked over at Lucas, who nodded his head and attested to such a statement with a grin to the topics they had shared. “Next time come and get me, I have a few stories that you would scarcely believe.”

“I am sure that you do, but none of us has that kind of time on our hands, Krieg,” Don teased, and openly laughed at the corresponding scowl that he received in return. “On that note, I will leave you good people alone, some of us around here have work to do,” he poked in fun for the Lieutenant's benefit as he headed back to the kitchen.

“I only came in to get a drink. The Captain is having a meeting in Ward Room in a few minutes,” Lucas explained. “Did he tell you about it?”

“I only woke up a short time ago and came in here first,” Ben replied. “I haven't had a chance to talk to anybody yet except you, Don and my coffee cup. Do you know what the meeting is about?”

“Did you manage to catch up on your sleep?” Lucas asked.

“Not as much as I would have liked, but enough for now,” Ben answered truthfully. “You weren't worried about me were you?” but he could see the answer for himself on the boy's face and caught the tell-tone catch in his voice. “For some reason I just couldn't sleep well during the night and I asked Ford to alter the roster,” he added without going into specifics.

“Yeah, that is what the Commander, and Bridger said after a few people around here confirmed that they had seen and talked to you earlier this morning,” Lucas said, glancing down at the table. “I didn't mean to pry, but wanted to make sure you weren't sick or something. I told them that I was awake for a good part of last night and would have kept you company if I had known.”

“Noted for next time. Thank you for the concern, it is appreciated, but nothing to worry about I promise,” Ben reported. “You were awake too last night?” he asked, keeping up the subterfuge of his nocturnal activities.

The teenager looked over towards the door, and then into the kitchen where the Chef was going about his duties, before taking a seat across from his friend. Lucas didn't answer the question about his own lost sleep, but his demeanour changed to being skiddish and wary.

“Bridger requested that I meet him in his quarters this morning to have a talk,” Lucas told him, looking up at Ben as he finished the sentence.

“What's going on?” he said, seeing the boy hedging and struggling to maintain eye contact, but wanting to say something. A minute ago he was ready to head to Bridger's meeting. The teenager was fidgeting and playing with what was in his hands, giving off wistful vibes. For the next twenty seconds, Lucas went about playing with the plastic lid from the juice bottle before giving his answer.

“Well, at first I didn't know what he wanted to talk to me about, and Kristin didn't give any clues away after she finished checking my stitches. I asked her. Both Bridger and I turned up late, but then he started pacing back and forth around the room, like he was hesitating,” he continued describing the story.

_'Like you are doing right now'_ Krieg thought to himself, but wasn't going to say it out loud.

“I was beginning to feel on edge and uneasy, because other _talks_ that we have had in there before today, hadn't delivered good news.” Lucas didn't elaborate further on that point further, hoping that Ben was astute enough to know what other time he had meant. He had been referring specifically to the time the Captain had wanted to be honest, and told him about other people finding out about his father's mistreatment.

“I hope it was something good this time around?” Ben asked, trying to keep the atmosphere between them positive.

“You know, it almost wasn't...................,” Lucas started, and then stopped, still using his hands to quell his growing melancholy. The teenager began running the tip of his index finger around the top of the juice container. Attempting to keep his concentration somewhere else. “A stupid mistake on my part one might say,” he remarked, followed by a hollow laugh.

For a moment, he almost got up from the table and left the mess hall without continuing, but then stopped himself, knowing that he wasn't being totally fair to Ben. He was the one that had brought up the whole incident. It was his mind that was seeking and demanding some kind of weird validation from someone, that what he had felt was completely understandable.

“Hey, tell me what happened?” Ben asked gently, seeing that whatever had happened, was causing the boy's mood to swing and change considerably from when Don was present, only a few minutes ago.

“Bridger will tell you that he worded it wrong................,” he continued, but then paused again, looking up towards the ceiling and feeling like a heel all over again. Self-doubt was badgering him from within on all sides and causing the negative voices to echo loudly in response to any rational thoughts.

The Captain didn't deserve the blame for his mind that was always reminding him of the precarious and temporary situation he currently found himself living in. He hadn't anticipated that thinking about it again would cause those feelings to bubble up again, but here they were. He was having trouble separating them and dismissing them entirely.

“I thought he was taking me off SeaQuest permanently.”

For few seconds, Ben couldn't think of a single thing to say in reply. Doing the best he could, and not wanting to provide any chance of bad thoughts to sow and take hold again, he spoke. “You do know that Captain Bridger wouldn't allow such a thing right?”

Lucas nodded his head with acceptance, but couldn't find the words to reply.

Ben decided to get in first and bolster his flagging confidence, “Don't worry. I have got your back too. And you know there are other crew members on-board here that do too, and we are all in your corner.” Krieg knew that bringing up his father's name now and promising that what he had suffered in the past wouldn't happen again, would help raise the boy's spirits.

“I do know that,” Lucas said truthfully, “Sometimes my brain goes off course for awhile and causes the rest of me to react automatically. In the past, it has done that before I have had much of a chance to think through what has been said to me. The teenager felt very uncomfortable in accepting that other people knew something about his home life, but there was very little he could do now to change that.

“So what did he word so wrong? Ben questioned, wanting keep the conversation going, and to prevent the boy's mood from continuing down the path it was on, and tumbling off the proverbial cliff.

“I panicked too early, but the Captain was apologetic and was beating himself up for the mistake once he realised. There were some choice words, followed by a few tense moments on my part....,” Lucas began to explain, leaving out any specifics, and glossing over how much emotion had been swirling around in the Captain's quarters. “Everything was smoothed out after he got to tell me his real plan. Admiral Noyce is giving him some shore leave due to him. He is intending on going back to his island home, and asked me if I would like to come with him.”

“Bridger asked you to go with him?” Krieg asked. “Wow, that is a terrific opportunity for you.”

“Before I left the Bridge to visit Kristin, Commander Ford was telling Bridger that his orders about the SeaQuest going somewhere were being carried out. I am sure that you have already noticed by now that we are currently under-way, and headed into deeper water so that the vessel can manoeuvre better outside the harbour. Admiral Noyce has ordered the Captain to start heading towards the Florida Keys today. He wants Commander Hitchcock to put on some show to a group of foreign ambassadors to prove that she is ready to start going on missions,” the teenager divulged.

“I, for one, am pleased that someone is getting to hear the good news happening around here for a change, and willing to share. I am usually the last person on-board to get told anything resembling important, noteworthy or even idle gossip,” Ben remarked. “Considering how nuts the schedule is around here at the moment, I wonder how Bridger managed to wrangle any leave from the brass?”

“The Captain didn't go into all those details with someone like me, but he did invite Kristin too, and she agreed,” Lucas informed Ben. “Bridger intends to make arrangements for all three of us to leave here tomorrow morning.”

“Both of them away at the same time!” Krieg said in astonishment. “Plus you as well. This place is going to be very quiet and dull for a few days. Not to worry though, I will take care of your dolphin for you while you and the Captain are away relaxing.

“Oh, that is where there is more good news, you won't have to, Ben,” Lucas declared, with the first sign of a small grin since sitting down. “Bridger has already confirmed that Darwin is going to be coming too! I don't know what we will be doing there for those days, but the Captain said the weather should be great. A whole lot of sand, water and sun I guess.”

“Nice to know that it will be us working people left on-board here, while the three of you are off enjoying yourself,” Krieg joked. “Quite the adventure you and Doctor Westphalen will be able to have, going away with the Captain. How long did he say you were going to be away?”

“Four days, but I did put in a good word on your behalf, and said you could use a break too,” Lucas commented. “Sorry to say that Bridger vetoed you coming along for that whole time. The reason he gave was that the U.E.O. wouldn't allow too many members of the crew to be away at the same time.”

“No, I guess they wouldn't allow that,” Krieg replied. “Thanks for putting up my name though, I do appreciate that. I could do with a vacation too.”

“Bridger made a comment about arranging for you, and a few others to come on the last day for a barbecue, and stay overnight. I don't know all the details yet or who else he is intending to invite, but he did mention that someone he knows will be picking up the people who are coming, and take them to his place.”

“Come on, we had better go and get to this meeting, or it will be finished without us,” Ben suggested, getting up from the table. “We can talk more on the way.”

“The Captain mentioned about getting you to help with the preparations this afternoon,” Lucas said, joining his friend and they headed towards the exit of the mess hall.

Before they reached the corridor, Ben was watching the teenager carefully for any signs that he was still carrying around negative thoughts. He even went one step further to confirm beyond the shadow of a doubt for his own peace of mind. “All good for now?”

“Yeah, sure, thanks for listening and letting me burden you there for a few minutes,” Lucas replied, jamming his hands into his pockets and being hard on himself for feeling that way.

The conversation between the two friends dried up a little as their made their way through the corridors of the vessel, heading to the Ward Room. Ben reignited their easy camaraderie, asking about his visit with Kristin. “Did the doctor have a good report card to give when you saw her earlier today?”

“Kristin said that everything is on the mend,” Lucas answered, and he was tempted to leave his response at that. But Ben had this way of making him feel like he needed to give a fuller account in his own words. “My hip isn't hurting so much when I am walking around now; it twinges when I have been standing or sitting in the same place for too long. She expects that the stitches can come out soon. The bruising is still too dark for her liking and won't begin to fade for another two more weeks.”

“Nice to hear that you are hurting less,” Ben commented. He was certain that a _twinge_ felt completely different for Lucas.

Inwardly, Krieg's mind was taking him back to when he first saw the bruising on the teenager's back. Watching the kid receive stitches was something he was trying real hard to push aside in his mind and forget.

* * *

The two friends casually walked into the Ward Room, but were surprised to see that Captain Bridger and Kristin were the only ones seated at the table.

“There you two are, I was just about to send out a search party for you,” Bridger joked, but looked genuinely pleased to see both of them.

“I mentioned that to our young friend here as we left the mess hall that you might would be looking for us,” Krieg answered. “The two of us got caught up a little ourselves,” he added, but the look he shared with the Captain said a whole lot more. There was a catch in Ben's voice that also caught Bridger's attention.

Nathan nodded his head in understanding, recognising that he would have to wait until Lucas was out of earshot to hear what else Ben had to tell him and Kristin.

“Not to worry, it won't take long to catch you up on what was discussed around the table,” Kristin remarked with an encouraging smile.

“Where did everybody else go?” Lucas queried, glancing about the room.

“Commander Ford, Tim and Miguel were here,” Bridger answered. “They all have other day-to-day duties that need attending to, so I couldn't keep them from those tasks for too long. Everything went smoothly enough.”

“I am sorry to tell you, Captain, that I sort of let the cat out of the bag early to Ben,” the teenager owned up. “Though, I wasn't totally sure of some details, and may have missed a few points or gotten them wrong.”

“Not to worry, Lucas, I guess he was going to find out when he got here sooner, rather than later,” Nathan replied, seeing the slightly apologetic expression on his face.

“Lucas tells me that you are planning to take some leave, Sir?” Ben asked, giving up what little he knew. “Bound for somewhere in the Florida Keys; should be exceptionally nice weather there this time of year.”

“Yes, Ben, I am. I have also persuaded Doctor Westphalen here to come along,” the Captain answered. “Lucas has agreed to join us too. I hope that he will enjoy the break away as much as we will.”

“Persuaded?” The doctor was ready to argue that point. “More like twisting my arm,” she conveyed, but the smile on her face gave away that she was pleased to be going as well. She was a strong advocate for improving all aspects of Lucas' health, and if part of that had to be done away from SeaQuest, then so be it.

“I have spoken to Commander Ford, and filled him on the details of our destination tomorrow, and that of the SeaQuest herself,” the Captain stated. “My next assignment will be talking to Commander Hitchcock, and gauging her interest about conducting the tour for the high-ranking personnel at one of the naval bases.”

“Sounds like something Katie would relish doing, Sir,” Krieg commented. “Like I said before, her knowledge of this internal workings of this vessel are second to none.”

“Thank you, Ben, I think she will do just fine as well,” Nathan responded. “I do think she is the right choice on this occasion.”

“On the fourth day, Ben, I will make arrangements for yourself, Miguel, Tim and Jonathan to be brought to my island. A little sand and sun for all, and we can have a barbecue down on the beach that night with a camp fire,” Bridger explained.

“Well, I certainly don't want to miss out on such a generous invitation, Sir,” Krieg answered with a grin. “Do you have enough room for us to stay overnight?”

“Yes, but the accommodations may not be what everyone would normally be used to. Unfortunately, they won't even be indoors, but it is the best I can offer on this occasion,” Nathan answered with a grin. “So, Mr Krieg, we will be needing sleeping gear for all those attending.”

“Don't worry, Sir, camping out for one night should be great,” Ben remarked. “Underneath the stars, the cool breeze blowing through the palm trees, the sound of the waves along the shoreline......”

“You don't have to sell me the glossy colour travel brochure, Lieutenant, I already bought the place,” Bridger said a laugh.

In the back of his mind, he was already tallying up the number of tents and sleeping bags he would need to requisition from supply. Looking over at the teenager beside him, and noting Lucas' earlier comment about this being a new experience, a few other ideas started to formulate in his head of how to extend the fun for all those involved.

“These next few days should be very interesting!” Lucas said with a little more animation coming into his voice. “I haven't done this before, so it will all be new to me what and how much we need to take. What did you need me to help with to get ready?”

The teenager hadn't given his words a second thought, silently, the three adults felt a small knot of dismay ball up at hearing such an honest statement. This break away was definitely long overdue.

The talk he had with Ben had gone a long way towards bringing some of the emotions to the surface that he had been trying to deal with from Bridger's quarters. The teenager's mood had improved quite a bit since the mess hall. The butterflies of excitement that he had felt only a short time ago were mustering again.

“How about you go and get your bag packed,” the Captain suggested. “Kristin and I need to talk to Don the chef, and provide him a list of the food items and other provisions that we will need to take with us. Anything in particular you want to add to that list?”

In the back of his mind, Lucas didn't want to tell them out loud that there wasn't really anything to pack. The couple of sets of clothes that he owned were still in the small bag in his room that he had brought on-board. There never seemed much point in taking them out, only to put them in a drawer or closet out of sight again.

“Not that I can think of right now,” the teenager answered, not really taking too much time to think about what he would be wanting to eat. Those were minor details surely and honestly didn't matter so much to him.

“I have a few things to talk to Ben about in relation to the non-food supplies that I am intending to take home,” Bridger informed Lucas. “Later on this afternoon, you can help load the gear, and get the launch prepared that we will be leaving on in the morning?”

“Sure, I can help with that,” Lucas readily agreed.

“Kristin may need some help getting together what she will be needing to take,” Nathan commented, looking at the doctor as he spoke. The doctor nodded her head in thanks for the offer of assistance.

“Be mindful of your stitches, please,” Kristin forewarned. “Nothing too heavy on your own just yet,” the doctor added, speaking to Lucas, but then glancing over at Ben, silently seeking his co-operation and adherence to her request.

Mentally, Doctor Westphalen was currently making a list of her own. The basics of course apart from her own personal belongings, but then there were a few other items that she could think of. In the past, she was often accused of being too prepared and taking too much that never even got unpacked.

“On that note, I am leaving before you find anything else to remind me about,” Lucas stated, trying to get out of her spotlight. “Come and find me when you are ready for me to help, Ben.”

The three adults watched the teenager as he left the Ward room, headed elsewhere on the vessel. He hadn't told them what his immediate plans were apart from packing his bag.

* * *

Bridger sat down on a chair at the large oval table, clearly relieved that everything about tomorrow's trip was beginning to fall into place. Up until now, there had been few times where his own self- confidence began to waver. The stead-fast and strong Captain, overseeing a large vessel took a step back and been replaced by an ordinary man.

“See, you had nothing to worry about,” Kristin said in support. “He is genuinely looking forward to going. Those four days will prove to be the boost he needs at the moment.”

“I know, you were right,” Nathan replied. “Thankfully, he does sound pleased and curious. I can only hope that lasts for the time away.”

Kristin looked over to Ben, wanting to provide him some kind of explanation. “The Captain here was beating himself up a short time ago because of a misunderstanding that wasn't received well.”

“Yeah, I can guess,” Krieg said with knowing tone to his voice. “No doubt, for the same reason why Lucas and I were late coming here in the first place.”

Nathan looked up sharply to the dark-haired man at this admission with fresh concern, “Lucas said something to you about how I asked him?”

“Yes. He stayed behind when it was just the two of us in the mess hall, but I could tell something was bothering him. The kid was looking around nervously of course, and cagey, making sure that nobody else would overhear, and it would be fair to say that it was weighing heavily on his mind,” Ben answered. “But, Sir, he was blaming himself more than you for the misinterpretation.”

“Blaming himself?” Bridger responded, standing up and wanting to go and find the teenager and repeat his apology all over again.

“I almost made the mistake of thinking it was something trivial,” Ben continued. “Don had finished chatting to the two of us, and went back into the kitchen. Lucas was more worried about checking up on me and not sleeping the night before. When I pressed him a little harder to find out what was going on, he sat down and told me what had transpired.”

Krieg could see that the Captain had been affected as much as Lucas, but for different reasons. “Sir, honestly, I wouldn't be saying this to you now if I didn't believe it,” he attested. “He knows that you made a mistake by the way you started asking him, nothing more.”

Bridger was about to say something to counteract that statement, but Krieg pushed back first.

“His fear about being removed from the SeaQuest is a very real one, and justifiable, but it was only for a brief time. Given his background, it is completely understandable, but once he had time to think things through, he said himself that you had worded your offer wrongly.”

“For a few seconds, after he told me what he had been thinking and feeling, I couldn't have strung two coherent words together,” Krieg admitted. “You could have knocked me over with a feather.”

“What did you end up saying to him?” Kristin asked. “Whatever it was must have worked, considering the mood we saw he was in only a few minutes go,” ” she added with gratitude.

“I made sure that Lucas knew, that you wouldn't want or allow him to leave SeaQuest, until you were convinced it was safe for him to do so, Sir,” Krieg answered, speaking to Bridger, but keeping the doctor in the loop, knowing that she cared too.

Kristin may have been thinking of the Captain at this time, but she was probably carrying enough worry of her own around.

“I told him that I would always around as a back-up as well, and that there were plenty of other people on-board that wanted to help him. Something that he may know, but I felt needed to be repeated with emphasis.”

“Thank you, Ben, thank you,” Bridger remarked, knowing that the man wasn't looking for praise, but he had certainly earned it in his opinion. Pleased to hear that for the first time, Lucas had opened up and spoken to someone else apart from himself or Kristin.

“Nothing to be thanking me for,” Ben replied. “After we had talked a little more, he went onto explain that his reaction was something that his brain does automatically in certain situations. Once he was a little more at ease, that is when he told me about the plans you had both discussed. He was a little sketchy on the details of who you were planning to invite to stay overnight.”

Krieg watched Bridger, trying to gain some insight on his mood after hearing his explanations. The Captain wasn't giving a lot away though, so Ben decided it was his place as morale officer to put some positivity back into the preparations.

“Now that you have gotten Lucas to agree to going along, it is time to get organised and set it up so the trip will be a total blast for him,” Ben suggested.

Bridger glanced back at Ben, finally giving a wry grin, “You are absolutely right, let's get started.”

“A time for relaxation and to recharge ones batteries, Ben,” Kristin interjected, “Not a _blast_ as you so ineloquently put it. Taking a break. Your suggestion remember was that Lucas needed time off, not a party?”

“That is what I meant, Doc,” Krieg returned in his own defence, hoping that the teenager would be having some fun as well.

On the table, there were a number of pieces of paper that Krieg had yet to view. The Captain held the first list up, but didn't hand it over completely.

“That is a list of the food items that Kristin and I came up with that I am planning to take with us on-board the launch in the morning,” Bridger explained. “Together, I think we have made a mix of healthy choices, but fun too. Meals that should be easy to make in an island setting, and will give variety. I didn't want Kristin or myself to be spending the whole time away cooking. We have both agreed to share the responsibility.”

“Between us, I hope that we can entice Lucas into helping out a little too, and teach him a couple of simple things that he can make for himself. Tasty to eat, but don't require many ingredients or preparation time,” Kristin added.

Ben took a step forward to take a closer look at the list, and was making a few positive and negative muttering sounds as his eyes scanned down the page. “You have certainly thought carefully about it, Sir.”

“Hot dogs on the first night, outdoors, that should go down a real treat,” Krieg remarked. “I know what I like on mine.”

“I have no idea what Lucas may or may not like on his, so I decided on a variety of the usual toppings that he can choose from,” Bridger said.

“Not doubting your choices, Sir, truly, but it would probably be a good idea to include some of those other alternatives that I had brought on-board, like the noodles and the ice-cream, just in case,” Ben pointed out. As his index finger moved down the list, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary until he reach the fruit and vegetables.

“Why do the bananas and oranges have asterisk marks beside them, Sir?” Ben asked in curiosity. “There are plenty on-board, I just delivered fresh stocks to Don earlier this week. I have no idea why the U.E.O. send us so many bananas. I know Chief Crocker likes them but he is not the only one, and we currently have enough to support a entire colony of chimpanzees.”

Kristin couldn't help but hold back a small laugh at Ben's comments about the copious amount of the delicious yellow fruit currently being kept on-board. Until now, she had no idea that Manilow liked bananas that much.

“I marked those specifically to gain a few extras from Don in the supplies that we take with us,” Bridger stated. “They don't have to be perfect, and even though they are all grown hydroponically now, they will still suffice. A little natural experiment that I thought Lucas may enjoy helping me set up after breakfast one morning. I am keeping my plans under wraps for now, so not a word to Lucas, please.”

The expression on Krieg's face said it all. He was trying to think what the Captain had in mind, but was coming up blank. He didn't want to spoil any surprise he had in mind for the teenager. Ben was sure that he would hear whether the experiment was a success or not at a later time.

“Now you have me curious as well, Nathan,” Kristin replied, intrigued as much as Ben for the reason behind the extra fruit items.

“Speaking of not being perfect, I fully support your idea to hold a barbecue on the night that we arrive,” the Lieutenant began, “Since real ground beef has now been outlawed and made illegal, grilling the created meat products is not going to be the same. I want to put that out there on the record. My days of being able to enjoy a real cheeseburger with my grandfather are long gone, but I can still dream.”

“I am sure everyone will enjoy what is on offer and there will be plenty to go around,” Bridger predicted. “Off the record, it has been a long time since I had a real burger of any kind. I used to enjoy them too occasionally.”

Ben's eyes widened with delight when he saw the next set of ingredients on the list. “S'mores, I haven't had those since my academy days down by the beach. All that gooey chocolate. I hope you are planning to roast the marshmallows over an open fire, Sir?”

“After the barbecue, I thought we could have a camp fire down on the beach,” the Captain suggested. “A few chairs on the sand, under the moonlight night.”

“Sounds very warm and indulgent, I must say,” Kristin commented. “In England it was difficult to find a suitable substitute for the crackers that you use over here. When I was studying and began my intern-ship, there were weekends where we would attend a manor house out of the city. Each person would bring what we needed. Sometimes the end product wouldn't be exactly edible, and the marshmallows were often burnt rather than melted. Good times and great friendships were formed,” she remembered fondly.

“Now that I have your approval of my list, Lieutenant,” Bridger said with a smile, deliberately using the man's rank and pulling the piece of paper out of view. “This is the list that I want you to attend to as soon as possible. That one is not as comprehensive as the one you were reading.”

A second piece of paper was produced, this one he did hand over to Krieg, and watched patiently as the man glanced down the list of items.

“Those activities I have planned should keep everyone occupied for the day until the barbecue,” Bridger stated. “If you can think of anything that I have left off by mistake, or want to add anything, please do, within reason of course. We are only away for four days, and have to pack everything up again to return here. Anything else should be available in my shed once we arrive.”

“I am heading to the mess hall for a cup of coffee, and to talk to Don,” Bridger informed Ben.

“I will join you for the coffee, Nathan, but after that I need to start putting together what I plan to take,” Kristin replied. “I want to spend some time talking to Mr Levine for the majority of the afternoon, to ensure he has everything he needs during my absence.”

“I just came from the mess hall, Sir, so I will go ahead and make a start on getting the items on this list ready for you,” Krieg opted. “I will do as you asked and find Lucas once I am ready to start loading the launch.”

“After I finished talking to the chef, I will be talking to Commander Hitchcock, but no doubt you and I are going to need to talk to each other through the rest of the afternoon about a number of things. If you need me, please come and find me, I will make time to help with whatever you need.”

“I will meet you in the mess hall for that cup of coffee in a few minutes, Nathan,” Kristin said as she excused herself. “Mr Krieg, I may need some assistance from you a little later.”

“I will be ready any time you are, Doctor Westphalen,” Ben answered. The two men watched Kristin walk away from the Ward room towards the mess hall.

* * *

Krieg had held back a little before leaving, expecting that the Captain wanted to have a few words between the two of them.

“Thanks for waiting behind, Ben,” Bridger spoke in gratitude. “I wanted to ask you about carrying out a quiet favour or two?”

“No problem at all, Sir, what else did you need?”

“I don't know if you noticed or not when Lucas was here, but Kristin and I certainly did. He still hasn't caught up on a whole lot of sleep. Lucas didn't say what other things he was going to be doing this afternoon, but I don't want it to be more computer work. That is why I brought up the premise of him helping you load the launch, and for you to give him some proper instruction on where to find everything. If we can keep him occupied for a few hours, then perhaps we can wear him out a little more and he will be tired enough to get a few hours of decent rest tonight. There will be plenty of marine creatures and plant life for him to see once we are in the shallower waters, when we leave in the morning.”

“Consider it done, Sir. To his credit, he is holding up rather well considering how much sleep he admitted to missing out on,” Ben noted. “I will make time to have dinner with him later this evening, to ensure that he eats something else today.”

“A second favour, please,” Bridger requested. “This one is on a more personal note. Amongst your crew uniform stores, do you have any spare or extras of those black baseball caps with the SeaQuest logo available?

“I should do, Sir........ I will check, oh you want to give Lucas one,” Ben said with a grin once the penny dropped and he understood the man's intentions. “I don't know why I didn't think of it before. He should have been given one already when he first came on-board. I am sure there will be one that will fit comfortably. I will come and find you when I have located the correct box. A nice touch, Captain.”

“Thanks, I don't even know if he likes those kind, and I haven't seen him wearing one,” Bridger commented. “He will need to take advantage of using a number of different ways for sun protection over the next few days. The temperatures are much warmer this time of year, and the glare off the water can be brutal. The heat can quickly cause sun-burn and headaches for anyone that is not being vigilant enough about how much time they have spent outside”

“For someone like Lucas, with fair skin, he will need to ensure that he wears enough protective clothing from the harsh rays during extended periods of exposure. Kristin has a fair complexion and red-hair. During the parts of the day where the sun is directly overhead in the sky, it would be better to stay in a shady spot and to keep hydrated.”

Krieg moved towards the door to the room, preparing to leave and start on the preparations. “Glad to hear that you are thinking well ahead, Sir. With both you and Doctor Westphalen for company, and looking out for his best interests, Lucas is bound to have a great time.”

_'I hope you are right, Ben'_ Bridger thought to himself as he left the Ward Room to go and meet up with Kristin for that cup of coffee.

In his right hand, he was carrying the list that of food items he was planning to give to the chef.

* * *

Kristin Westphalen had just finished draining her mug of coffee, when she saw the Captain walk through the doors. She caught a glimpse of his unspoken apology, “For a minute, I thought you must have changed your mind about sharing a cup, Nathan.”

“Sorry, I got caught up talking to Ben for a few more minutes,” he replied. “I might have to take a rain check. I want to give this list to Don, and then I need to talk to Commander Hitchcock as SeaQuest gets further out into the harbour and before we reach open waters. I wanted to personally brief her on what I will be requesting her to do.”

“I will hold you to that rain check, Captain,” Kristin taunted, but didn't pursue what the two men had spoken about after she left. The doctor was certain if they wanted her input, or for her to know, she would have been included.

As the two spoke, Don, the head chef approached from the kitchen, looking down at his watch to check the time before he greeted the man, “Hello again, Captain. Are you able to talk more freely with me this time around, since I don't see young Lucas with you?”

“I am sorry about that, Don, I didn't mean to put you in an awkward situation in front of Lucas,” Bridger replied. “I wanted to talk to him before I revealed my plans to others on-board such as yourself. I wasn't sure if he would be open to the idea or not.”

“No trouble at all, Captain, I knew you would explain in your own time,” Don responded. “Ben appeared to be having an intense conversation with Lucas in here earlier today. What do you have there?”

“Right now, the SeaQuest is headed for the Florida Keys on a mission sanctioned by Admiral Noyce,” Nathan answered. “I have been granted a few days leave. Lucas and Kristin have both agreed to accompany me during that time to take advantage of the weather for some relaxation.”

“A break away at any time sounds good, but particularly in that part of the world,” Don remarked. “I am pleased to hear that Lucas agreed to going. Some outside time and a little healthy activity might be the natural way to increase his appetite.”

“This is a list of the food items that Kristin and I put together, to cover most meal times. There may be a few items that you don't have in your fridges or store pantry, but don't be too concerned about anything that you cannot supply. On the fourth day, I have a friend of mine who can drop off any extra supplies that I need, along with a few of the crew members who have been invited to my island home, including Ben.”

Don took the piece of paper from the Captain and began scanning down the list. Nathan made a few more comments as the chef read the meal plan.

“I thought the first night I would do something simple and outdoors,” Bridger explained. “I may be completely out of my depth here in assuming what Lucas will want to eat. Kristin will be taking care of the dinner menu for the third night. The fourth night in intended to be a barbecue on the beach after the other invited crew members arrive.”

“I think what you and Doctor Westphalen have planned out here, will be just fine for any teenager,” Don remarked. “I don't think the actual food itself being offered is the key to getting him to eat. More like the encouragement of good people such as yourselves keeping an open mind into what he wants and listening is the best course of action. Any kind of forced or regimented meal times isn't going to work with someone like him from what I have noticed from the short time he has been on-board.”

“In addition to what you see there, Ben suggested including some of those noodle boxes and ice-cream tubs, and that may be a prudent move. In case Lucas isn't entirely happy with the menu in front of you,” Bridger explained. “Kristin and I tried to come up with options that would suit all of us. The cooking will be a combined effort, but I also wanted some quick and easy options. Evening dinners are planned around spending more time outside together, rather than in the kitchen.

“From what I can see on this list, Captain, the only things that I wouldn't be able to provide at this time would be the marshmallows, or the crackers for the s'mores,” Don informed them. “Not much opportunity to have an open fire aboard a submarine. I could provide the chocolate though,” he added with a chuckle.

Nathan grinned at the comment about the chocolate. He usually didn't admit out loud too often, that he occasionally had a sweet tooth for such treats. “Thank you, please mark anything you don't have. I plan on making contact with my friend later to bring the extras.”

“Speaking of marks, why are there some beside oranges and bananas? Don enquired. “I can give you those in ample quantities.”

“Ben brought up that very same point not too long ago,” Kristin responded. “All Nathan would tell either of us, is that he wants a few extras of both to conduct an experiment with Lucas. We are both curious about their use too.”

“Well then, I will wait until Lucas returns and ask him about what the experiment was all about, and how it went,” the chef replied, but he had no idea what the Captain could have planned that involved humble pieces of fruit.

Don continued surveying the list until he had almost reached the end, “Someone has written down a whole raw chicken. Any meat products or substitutes are processed and packaged before they arrive on the launches and are delivered to me by Ben. Sorry to say, but the best I could do there is provide chicken pieces?”

“That was my addition, Don,” Kristin answered. “I was hoping to be able to cook a whole roast chicken in the oven of Nathan's kitchen for that night's evening meal. Pieces will be fine, in lieu of a roast dinner, I can make chicken and dumplings and vegetables. Hearty and filling, and in keeping with your own unique repertoire and source of inspiration for drumming up meals that might tempt Lucas. A recipe my mother made when I was growing up in England.”

“Your making me hungry already,” Nathan remarked at her description. “I am afraid my effort in cooking meals won't be anywhere near as grand as that. Until recently, I was only used to providing for one person. Darwin catches his own supper when he is swimming in the lagoon.”

“I will see to this list, Captain, and pack everything in a couple of sturdy containers that can easily be loaded on and off a launch,” Don promised. “The items that need colder storage or to be kept frozen for the journey will be packed in a portable unit. They come in very handy for transportation and will maintain the set temperature for quite a number of hours. Everything should remain fresh until you reach your destination.”

“Thank you for your co-operation, Don,” Bridger replied. “I did ask Lucas if there was anything else that he wanted to include, but he remain fairly tight lipped on the subject. Ben will be keeping him occupied later with helping to load the launch, which will include the food storage containers. If he tells you that he would like to add anything, please do.”

“Your list shouldn't be a problem at all, Captain,” the chef confirmed. “Ma'am, if you think of anything else you would like to add as well, please let me know.”

“Thank you for your diligence,” Kristin commented. “I should be down in the science department for the remainder of the day should you need to ask me a question, or need my assistance.”

“I have a number of other things to organize for the next several hours,” Bridger predicted. “Ben has a fairly good understanding of some of the activities I am planning, that I haven't told Lucas about yet. I want to try and keep to my intended schedule of leaving first thing in the morning. Like Kristin said, please come and find me and let me know if you have any questions or problems.”

* * *

Exiting the mess hall, Nathan and Kristin paused in the corridor for a few moments.

“I am going to find Commander Hitchcock and talk to her about Noyce's plans for the SeaQuest in my absence.”

“What are these _other_ activities that you mentioned a moment ago in there? Mr Krieg gets to know, but I don't?” Westphalen teased. The doctor knew that he had Lucas' best interests at heart with any of the planning he was doing.

“I am choosing not give my secrets away to you, Kristin,” Nathan answered with a sly smile. “I want you to enjoy yourself on this short break too.”

“You have me convinced that you are taking this break for the right reasons,” she said with a warm smile. “I will come and find you to talk more later.”

Bridger watched the doctor head down the corridor away from him. A myriad of thoughts were going through his mind, about her agreement to help. Lucas' mix of hesitation and excitement. Throw that all together with a heaped helping of the unknown, and the outcome of this little jaunt was yet to unfold.

The man knew that Lucas wasn't going to be the only one surprised on this trip. There were quite a few mysterious rumours surrounding his chosen self-isolation, and speculation about what he got up to there. A part of him did think that he was giving up some of the secrets that he had been keeping. Was he prepared to let some of these people into a way of life where not everybody was willing to understand or accept the reasons why?

* * *

Commander Katie Hitchcock was in her small office, and was looking over a print out of the various glitches that her engineering team were working diligently on solving.

Her staff had certainly been putting in the hours, but there were still a few niggling problems plaguing a number of the systems. She was intent on establishing a regular maintenance schedule, but that was being thwarted.

She was due to relieve her Executive Officer within the hour, and take over the shift on the Bridge until the early morning hours. When the Commander had informed her only a few hours ago that the SeaQuest would be pulling out of Pearl Harbour and heading towards the Florida Keys, she was most intrigued by the intended destination.

A knock came on the outside of her door. Katie got up to answer it, expecting it to be Jonathan Ford, expanding the details about the mission that had been handed down by the Captain.

Hitchcock turned the hatch and opened the door, and was surprised by a different person standing before her, “Good afternoon, Sir,” she formally greeted the man.

“Good afternoon, I hope I am not taking too much of your valuable time,” Bridger responded politely.

“Not at all, Captain, would you like to come in?” Katie queried, but turning around, she took stock of the small amount of space inside the room and changed her mind. “Forgive me, Sir, but it may be better if I come out there and talk to you. It would be less cramped for the both of us.”

“Wherever you feel most comfortable, Commander,” Bridger conceded. “I see your office has the same problem that Lucas' small living accommodations has. I wish there was a way to rectify the issue for you too.”

Thankfully for the both of them, the small office that was designated to the Chief Engineer on-board, and located in one of the side corridors. Personally, she preferred any instructions to staff about maintenance schedules to be done face to face. Small electronic tablets, like the one she had provided to Lucas were used for important databases that needed critical data to be recorded. Although both of them could be seen standing together and talking, neither of them expected a significant amount of foot traffic from other crew members, who could potentially interrupt their discussions.

“For now it is manageable, Sir, and fortunately I don't spend too much time in there on a daily basis,” Katie replied. “My time is currently divided between locating and fixing the glitches we have, and my shifts on the Bridge. There are other rooms that I could use should I require more space to work. I haven't had the opportunity yet to show you my long term ideas that may help any more faults from emerging.”

“Jonathan did mention to me that you wanted to talk about changes to the Bridge, and I promise that I will give you the audience that you are seeking in due course,” the Captain affirmed.

“Commander Ford has told me that he has already spoken to you briefly about the new orders I gave,” Bridger continued, directing the conversation to current matters at hand. “I am sorry that I didn't give either of you a heads up, or much time to work with. I know that you have a lot on your plate at the moment, and appreciate the efforts that you and your staff are currently putting in to rectify all the problems. I am sure that you are aware now that the vessel is beginning her slow journey out into open waters?”

“Yes, Sir, Jonathan advised that you gave him instructions about our intended destination,” Katie replied. “He told me that you would be providing an explanation as to the reason we are heading towards the Florida Keys.”

“Admiral Noyce has granted me four days leave starting tomorrow morning,” the Captain explained. “Doctor Westphalen, and Lucas will be accompanying me to my island. The main idea behind the time off is to get Lucas taking a break away from here and learning to relax more.”

“Commander Ford also told me what was spoken about in the Ward Room earlier today, and Lieutenant Krieg noted the workload he has taken on,” Hitchcock commented. “Although we were both happy to have his assistance for the electronic door locks, I hope you understand that neither of us expected him to be carrying out the repairs at the pace he has been maintaining.”

“None of us were aware of the crazy work-load and little sleep schedule he was keeping until Ben's well-placed hunch and late night surveillance,” Bridger remarked. “Hopefully this short trip will be enough to encourage him to slow down and teach him that he can still contribute to the crew in a useful capacity. Lucas needs to learn that taking care of himself, and getting enough rest are all part of that regime. By the time we return to SeaQuest, a more realistic solution will have to be considered and then hammered out that suits everybody.”

Katie nodded her head as she listened to the Captain's reasons behind his sudden departure, “Yes, Sir.”

“I have spoken to Jonathan, and instructed that he will be appointed Captain during my initial absence, but that responsibility will be short lived. Once you reach the Key West Naval Base, I have asked him to stand aside as a gentleman, and officially hand over to you as Captain,” Bridger indicated.

“You are probably wondering why I chose yourself specifically on this occasion. Admiral Noyce would have accepted either of you stepping forward for the role.”

“There are three main points to draw your attention to about why I made the personal decision of yourself over him. This isn't in any way a reflection on previous performance, seniority or experience. Both of you are equally qualified and I am certain, would represent this vessel and manage the crew with professionalism and integrity. As I mentioned to Jonathan, I am not trying to steal his thunder, and I will ensure that there are plenty of opportunities for both of you to take over as Captain in the future and advance your career paths.”

“I would like to hear your answers behind that choice, Sir,” Katie replied, genuinely intrigued. She was aware of her counter-part's expertise and leadership credentials. Ford had already carried out a number of dangerous missions on this vessel where the stakes had been at their highest. On paper, and given his proven track record, she couldn't help but be curious about Bridger's unique way of selecting the most appropriate candidate.

“Firstly, my decision was based due to your extensive knowledge of the area and the base that we are headed to. It has been a long time since I attended the Naval Air Station at Key West myself and I am sure that the place has expanded and changed quite considerably since my last time there. My understanding is that you have spent a considerable amount of time there during your service?”

“Yes, Captain, I did as part of some advanced training programs that I undertook before my last assignment,” Hitchcock answered. “The station itself has gone through some extensive upgrades over several years, and quite a number of federal agencies are now based through there. The base plays a vital role in hosting offshore air combat ranges for a large contingent of Fighter Squadrons there and many other allied military forces.”

“That was explained somewhat to me by the Admiral,” Bridger advised.

“My time there was mainly spent with the Special Forces Underwater Operations,” Katie continued. “I was close to gaining promotion there before I applied for my placement on-board SeaQuest. The opportunity to come here outweighed anything more I could learn there. Not only offering advancement, but the chance to work at a classified and different level of technology than ever before.”

Bridger listened to her reasoning behind leaving the Naval Air Station to accept her role as Chief Engineer. It must have been a difficult decision at the time. Both offered a lot for someone who was driven and wanted to prove themselves, but at the same time, came with additional responsibility and expectations. The Captain knew that such choices often came with unforeseen repercussions in the personal lives of those successful officers.

“The second reason for my selection for this tasks is due to your comprehensive knowledge of the SeaQuest and her internal systems,” Bridger stated. “I know you have worked very hard to gain that level of knowledge and practical hands-on experience. The third reason, is because Jonathan and a few other crew members have been invited to my island on the fourth day, to stay overnight. I am sorry that you are one who will be missing out on this occasion, Commander, but that won't always be the case.”

“I understand, Sir,” Katie replied, assuming that Bridger would have selected people that Lucas was comfortable being around. “I do appreciate your belief and trust in my abilities to Captain the vessel in your absence.”

“The exact purpose of our mission might sound plain enough on paper as an addendum to the negotiations that we had to grant my leave,” Bridger predicted. “Make no mistake, the Admiral wants to utilise your unique skill set and knowledge to his full advantage. Those plans include having you demonstrate the SeaQuest's internal systems and external capabilities to a group of senior brass officials who are stationed at the station in Key West.”

“I am prepared to provide a comprehensive first-hand presentation at any time, Sir,” Katie declared confidently. “Has Admiral Noyce advised the schedule for the tours and provided names for the senior military personnel that I will be expecting to host?”

“No he hasn't, and I don't expect much communication or assistance in that department if I know Bill as well as I do,” the Captain said. Looking down the corridor in front of them and behind, he made sure that it was just the two of them for the next few remarks he intended for her ears only.

“I have given the same details you heard just now to Jonathan earlier today on our destination and the mission itself,” Bridger forewarned. “What I am about to talk to you about now, is to remain between you and me. Understand?”

“Completely, Sir,” Katie affirmed. Hitchcock didn't think that Bridger was the kind of Commanding Officer that would deliberately mislead his Executive Officer, without a good reason.

“Whatever Admiral Noyce's undisclosed plans are, I think he is keeping a lot under his hat, even from me at this point, that won't be revealed yet,” Nathan spoke candidly. “Don't let his friendly exterior fool you, he has been at this game a long time. Use your instincts to their maximum capacity about what the true objectives might be for these senior personnel that he is suddenly allowing to snoop around. I suspect they already have high-level clearances in relation to classified projects.”

“I am under no illusion that we are playing a very carefully constructed game of chess, but not all of the pieces are in place yet, Bridger surmised. “I think he has something big planned up his sleeve for the SeaQuest in the not too distant future. This opportunity that he is setting up is much more than a guided tour and to prove that the vessel is ready to show off and demonstrate that she is ready to conduct missions.”

Katie Hitchcock listened intently to the Captain's theory about the Admiral's true motivations. Although the pieces of the puzzle had been laid out before her, she hadn't reached the same level of suspicion yet or been able to draw the conclusions about the secondary reasons behind their current heading.

“The Admiral is trying to persuade a few undecided nations to join the U.E.O. to fall under the umbrella of protection, but I don't think that is the whole plan either,” Nathan repeating to her what had been changed during the video-link conference. “My gut is telling me that there is more to this set of strings, other than granting my leave and helping Lucas.”

“Do you think that the tour is being politically motivated by higher-level military leaders and other private constituents, putting pressure and demands on the Admiral, Sir?” Hitchcock tried to gauge. “There are quite a lot of smaller nations who would benefit from such an arrangement, but the time frame to do so may not suit them or the SeaQuest.”

“Possibly,” came the short answer. “The Admiral wants to come on-board here once we return to Pearl Harbour, but I haven't told Lucas that yet. That is not the sort of news that he will be welcoming at all. Somehow I have to plan on finding the right time to tell him, while we are on this break.”

“Yes, Sir, I will make any necessary preparations for his visit and inspection once yourself, Doctor Westphalen and Lucas have left on the launch tomorrow,” Katie replied.

“For the next couple of hours, I will be on the Bridge, overseeing last minute details and that the provisions I have requested are being loaded smoothly,” Bridger said. “I will leave any other day-to-day operational decisions up to you and Jonathan as you work together as a team. Take on everything we have spoken about, but don't allow it to prevent you from carrying out your duties with a good dose of common sense.”

* * *

Ben Krieg had spent most of his time after leaving the Captain in preparing the supplies that would be loaded onto the launch. The essentials were taken care of first, and packed into tough, waterproof containers for easier transportation. He made sure that they weren't overloaded, since there would only be three passengers to unload the cargo once they reached their destination.

There were are few containers that he had secretly been preparing afterwards that would be brought with him and the other crew members joining them later. Things that he wanted to keep as a surprise for Lucas, and items which wouldn't be needed until that last day and night anyway.

Now he was ready to go and find the teenager and get him to assist in loading the containers. He had started making his way down the corridor towards _Mammal Engineering,_ but stopped as he saw Lucas talking softly to Darwin by the moon pool.

“Hey, I was coming to find you, I thought you were going to be in your cabin getting packed?” Ben asked with enthusiasm. Lucas appeared to be in a fairly good mood, but that may have been due to the dolphin's presence rather than his own. He was looking for evidence of _'being excited'_ about going on the trip as described by the Captain.

Darwin proceeded to swim away from Lucas's hand, and out of the moon pool.

“I have only been here a few minutes, and the bag I am taking is ready to go,” the teenager offered. Ben didn't need to be bothered by the small details, like the fact that there was virtually no packing to be done on his end. The only clothes that he owned were already in the small bag on the floor. He would be wearing the only pair of shoes he owned on the launch.

“The personal luggage can wait until tomorrow morning to finish being loaded, before you depart,” Krieg told him. “Kristin is yet to provide everything that she is taking to me, but a lot of the other containers are complete. So if you still want to help, follow me and I will show you what is done.”

“Let's go then,” Lucas said with a small grin, and a positive tone of voice. There is was, the touch of buzz that Ben had been watching for, but he wanted it to grow significantly more yet and have the kid as keen as mustard about going.

As they walked together towards the launch bay, Krieg decided to try and start the ball rolling early about the location of this mystery destination. “So have you managed to worm out of the Captain where you are going to yet?”

“No, he wouldn't give specifics, except that the SeaQuest is headed for the Florida Keys,” Lucas answered.

“Well after we pack the launch, lets you and I get a couple of maps and pour over them during dinner in the mess hall,” Krieg suggested. “There can't be that may secret places in that part of the world.

“That sounds great,” Lucas replied. “I don't mind if we don't find out until after we leave. I think the Captain is planning to the location secret from both I and Kristin. But it might be fun to speculate, even if we get it completely wrong. Unfortunately, I don't have much experience in being able to read nautical charts though.”

“Count your blessings that you have all the right connections, Lucas, because you don't need to. I can teach you,” Krieg said with an burst of self-confidence. “I have been reading them successfully for years. Came top of my class during my time at the Academy.”

“You did?” Lucas questioned, impressed by such a declaration. “I will let you guide me then, oh masterful teacher,” the teenager joked.

The two of them sharing a laugh together, and Krieg was pleased that he was keeping the boy's attention, and making him a willing participant in the preparations.

In the launch bay, three large yellow plastic containers were resting on the floor in the corridor, and along side of them, a mobile trolley.

Lucas tested the tough outer plastic with a light kick of his foot, “These boxes seem pretty versatile from the outside, but are they heavy?”

“No, I took care in making sure that the weight was evenly distributed over the three of them. I probably could have managed with two, but erred on the side of caution this time. The trolley will make it much easier when you get there to unload,” Krieg answered.

“So, what is actually in these boxes?” Curiosity written across his face. He was very tempted to turn one of the locking mechanism's and lift the lid to peer inside.

“You checking up on my work now?” Krieg taunted. “Don't you trust me to have everything ready that you will need?”

“Well someone around here has to apart from Commander Ford, he already has enough to do,” Lucas shot back cheekily. “Who knows what you could be smuggling off the SeaQuest.”

Krieg's eyes widened in mild shock, and his laughter grew at the kid's spontaneous jibe. Give Lucas more opportunities for his true personality to shine through, and Ben was certain that there would be more fun ahead. The Lieutenant was willing to cop any kind of joke in his direction if that is what it took to get for the boy to relax more. To not have to think about the darker issues currently in his life and stop fearing what the road ahead had in store for him.

“You want to see inside the box? I will show you what is inside the box,” Krieg proclaimed, seeing that the teenager wanted to do that. After lifting the lid, he stepped back so that Lucas could see for himself how neatly the contents were stored.

“Fruits, vegetables, all kinds of food stuff to keep the three of you eating well for those few days,” Ben shared. “Some cooking utensils, though I suspect the Captain will have some useful items in his own kitchen to use.”

“Everything seems to be packed in there well enough,” Lucas gave in critique as he closed the lid and watched how Ben secured the locks. He would need to know how to open them again once they reached the island.

“The interesting stuff that I wanted to show you, isn't in these boxes my young friend,” Krieg hinted at with a smirk. Placing the trolley into the correct position, the first box was lifted, “Follow me into the launch. I will show you how the boxes are secured to stop them rolling or moving around. There are a few neat things on-board to point out and demonstrate where they are concealed.”

“Concealed?” Lucas replied with intrigue, as he trailed behind the Morale Officer.

“Has anybody told you much about these launches before me?” Krieg asked. “I will leave explaining the controls that the pilot uses for the Captain to explain to you tomorrow.”

“That should be great,” the teenager remarked, as he watched the box being manoeuvred to the side of the launch, away from the doors. Secretly he was looking forward to Bridger showing him how to operate the vessel. “I have been inside one a couple of times now, but there was too many people both times, and I didn't know anybody to ask at the time.”

“Well, now you do. Me. And I can answer any questions you have at any time. See those small indentations on the floor there and the matching ones alongside of them?” Ben asked, pointing to two sets of four grooves that had been purposefully carved deep into the pieces of metal plate. Eight in total.

“Yeah,” Lucas nodded, but a shrug of his shoulders signalled that he didn't understand their importance.

“Those little divots may not seen like much, but trust me, on days when the sea is very rough, you will be thanking them in person,” Ben explained. “They are used for stopping large pieces of cargo like these boxes from slamming into you from the other side with force. Not all of the boxes like these have wheels on them, but some do. The U.E.O. operational and safety manual clearly states, that all luggage and supplies need to be secured during any journey.”

“What happens to boxes that don't have wheels, or are stored on top of other containers?” Lucas queried. On the inside, his stomach was doing a little flip-flopping of its own at the thought of the launch being in rough seas. He hoped he never had to experience that. So far he had been lucky and not felt sick, but he didn't want to know the opposite.

Krieg opened the front of a storage panel and pulled out a set of long, strongly fibre woven straps that had interconnecting metal fastenings on either end. “These,” Ben held up to show him. There were a number of other cords still stored inside, and a similar sized storage panel below, which probably contained more. “The wheels for boxes on the bottom usually have a small metal brake. For the other pieces of luggage or cargo, these straps are wrapped around and used to secure anything else in place without causing damage. They have strong hooks and other bits for that, and the cord itself is tested to be able to stop large weights from moving if done correctly. Everything is anchored to the floor for even more stability.”

Lucas watched as Ben showed him how the straps worked. He assisted Ben to bring in the other two boxes which were then secured in place as well. He tried to remember each step as it was shown. This being the first time, no doubt he would need to see it done on several more occasions.

Ben looked up and saw the teenager watching intently, “Don't try and take it all in the first time. Trust me, there is plenty of time for you to learn, and it doesn't need to be all in one day. It took me quite a long time before I could even get it half right.”

Lucas looked back at him, a little embarrassed that what he was feeling and thinking was being displayed so openly on his face.

“Now that is all done, lets show you some of those other neat features I was talking about,” Krieg said as he stood up. “You can see all of the padding on seating behind you there,” he continued. “Again, when it becomes rough out there, you will be very happy for that extra cushioning. The pole that is anchored to the floor there beside you, trust me you will appreciate it's presence and the fact that it doesn't move when everything else inside this cabin is that isn't nailed down.”

Lucas stared back at Ben with a greenish look, hoping he never had to experience that. He had been fortunate so far on the trips he had taken on a launch and had been lucky enough to avoid feeling nauseous. Unpredictable situations like the one that Krieg was describing made him swallow nervously, and doubt that his stomach would cope very well.

“Up the top on both sides of the passenger cabin, you can see the over-head storage compartments. Some of them are too small to be useful in my opinion,” he demonstrated, by opening the door on one. “The doors have magnetic seals and are designed to stay closed when it gets rough, but there have been times where that has failed.....”

Krieg left the statement unfinished, assuming that the teenager would be able to make up his own conclusion about the results of that happening. “Absolutely everywhere....” he finally said, seeing the answer of where the contents would end up.

Lucas opened one of the larger compartments and saw a box inside labelled, ' _First-Aid Kit'_ , a fairly standard accompaniment one would assume for any kind of water craft. He opened a second door to the left where a small orange plastic container was marked with the words, _'Food Rations'_ and a whole list of instructions on the outside of how to prepare them _._ According to the size of the box, he couldn't imagine anything in there being worthwhile eating.

“Dehydrated and supposed to last for centuries and keep you alive, so the manual tells people,” Ben exaggerated with a chuckle when he glanced over the boy's shoulder and saw the label. “I have never tried them myself, and don't ever want to.”

“That makes two of us,” Lucas agreed, closing the door. “Is there anything of any real use in any of these compartments.

“There are storage tanks under one side of the bench seat there for fresh water,” Krieg answered. “Life-jackets and other personal safety equipment beneath the other end. Underneath one of the floor panels there is also an inflatable survival raft. There is a ton of boring stuff that you probably could already guess about. Anything else isn't worth mentioning. I am sure there will be plenty of other opportunities for you to poke around in here.”

“You want to hear the real scary numbers about these launches?” Ben asked, seeing Lucas look back at his ominous tone of voice. The teenager stopped looking through the compartment he had opened, and nodded his head cautiously.

“These sea launches are put through some rigorous testing, and are operated to depths of more than ten thousand feet,” Krieg stated. “Take that in for a minute. And then imagine the amount of space that you and I are standing in now. The exterior total length, including the cockpit, passenger module and all other areas add up to sixty-six feet. Life-support is supposed to be viable for twenty-five people for up to ten days.”

“Ten days!” Lucas said incredulously, looking around at the restrictive size of the cabin. “I don't think it would fit more than ten people in here, once you account for luggage or any supplies as well,” he gauged. “I have been on one of these twice, and there was barely any standing room on both trips with.” He was impressed with the man's expansive knowledge and statistics about the vessel.

“Can't say I want to be in one that long, even with full power, but that is what they are designed for. At the Academy, one of the mandatory exercises for assessment was being capable in getting out of one of these launches in an emergency and being required to know how to deploythe raft,” Ben explained. “I agree with you on the number of people. Thankfully there will only be three of you tomorrow.”

“I take it that you were successful when it was your turn at the Academy to demonstrate your competency?” Lucas questioned, closing the door on the compartment.

Ben had wry smile on his face as he tried to find the right words, “A piece of cake, once you know how. Although ' _Commander Had-To-Tell-Me-Twenty-Times'_ was not entirely happy with my performance, and made it a point to tell everybody out loud. There were some people at that place who never seemed satisfied with my efforts. My record speaks for itself, that I am a highly trained launch operator. I completed the course and have an excellent knowledge of how to pilot one, have kept passengers safe during any journey, and cargo has reached the intended destination without any problems.”

Lucas laughed at Ben's description, “I am sure that someone will tell me the real story in the future. Before that, tell me about some of these other neat features you keep hinting at.”

The teenager used his eyes to follow the network of pipes that ran parallel throughout the cabin and ceiling of the craft. A number of various control panels could be identified, but then a few that had him guessing at their intended purpose. There were a whole lot of electronic panels that he would have liked to look behind and check out further for curiosity sake, but he erred on the side of caution.

Ben was pleased to see the kid taking everything in that was being shown to him and being spoken about. The kid's face and body posture were showing early signs of fatigue. Planning to keep his attention only a little longer, and then encourage Lucas to join him in the mess hall for some food, he answered with one of his own.

Look directly above your head towards the cockpit and tell me what you see?” Krieg asked, waiting to see if the boy was perceptive enough to pick up on a new security measure. “Next time you travel via one of these, be aware that everything you do and say is being recorded by the powers that be.”

Lucas heard the challenge, and glanced about the area in question. He was about to give up when he spotted something he immediately recognized, “A security camera,” he declared, the glass lens blinking directly back at him. He had definitely seen one of those on more than one occasion.

The teenager watched as Krieg opened a secret compartment, ready to explain more about it. It was Ben who was amazed when Lucas was able to identify the type of camera, right down to the exact model and specifications. The kid never stop surprising him with his intelligence or knowledge about subjects that someone his age shouldn't know so much about.

“Well, they spared no expense when these were installed,” Lucas reported, clearly impressed with the array of equipment that he could see at first glance. “These cameras are wired, and usually are more trickier to install to begin with. Once that is done, they can become very useful and ultra reliable. They are also good for domestic use inside a house too, or put into places where the camera itself doesn't need to move around a lot. With that kind of set up, a home owner can keep constant surveillance on multiple parts of their properties at the same time. This one is fairly obvious to spot, but there are models on the market that are even smaller, and much more advanced and can be concealed and well hidden.”

“I don't know why I was planning on telling you all about them,” Krieg said. “The U.E.O. only installed them during the last eighteen months because a lot of supplies was going missing and couldn't be accounted for. I guess they figured that they couldn't trust any of us any more. It begins recording as soon as the launch engine starts up and does so continuously; the footage is downloaded to a server on SeaQuest. Then it can then be made downloadable to a computer anywhere else someone wants to send it. How come you know so much about them? ”

Lucas was poking his fingers into where the hardware and cabling was, trying to get a better look at the set up, but withdrew them, and replaced the panel. He was startled by the question for a minute, but saw no reason to be anything but truthful. “Oh, well I honestly don't claim to know that much, but I have this best friend who has shown me a lot about cameras.”

“A friend?” Ben prompted, inwardly hoping that this _'friend'_ was one of the two that Bridger had secretly found out about and was about to be named.

“His real name is Nick,” Lucas replied, but too distracted by how well hidden it was. “Cameras mean as much to him, as computers and technology do for me. All kinds, big and small, new and old. He does play around with computers too, but photography is where his real passion and expertise lie. Wolfy has taught me a lot about them and owns a lot of them,” he added, without realising the mistake he was making.

Krieg made a mental note for later about the friend's name and was silently grinning to himself. So far, he was one up on everybody else in that department. For a moment or two, he weighed up the pros and cons of whether he should be giving Lucas a peek at something else entirely. He wasn't deliberately seeking to break the rules, but he knew the teenager would be fascinated.

Opening up a medium sized compartment behind Lucas' head, “That security camera may be stationary, but these are not,” Krieg said, pulling out a small rectangular device.

“These portable body-cameraswere added only six months go, but I am sure you will agree, they are much more sophisticated. They are an optional extra that some crew members can use at any time when they leave the launch, but feel the need to record their surroundings, or whenever they find themselves in questionable or unsafe areas. There are usually three kept on each launch at any one time.”

“They are usually reserved for use by military personnel only, and the brass is fairly stringent when it comes to who is taught how to use one. I suspect that people from the science contingent are not even advised that they exist unless it becomes absolutely necessary or in the case of an emergency. I am showing them to you, but let's keep that information a secret between you and me. The Captain and Ford don't need to be told about everything that you got to see this afternoon.”

From the words of warning, Lucas could tell that Ben was flouting with what was and wasn't permitted by allowing him to see some things being revealed . He didn't want his friend to get into any real trouble, and felt a little guilty as he nodded his head in agreement. There was definitely a level of unspoken appreciation as a result of Ben's trust. No-one else had been prepared to treat him like that since coming on-board; like an adult who was capable of keeping his mouth shut when required.

Ben handed one of them to Lucas, who was even more impressed with this body-worn camera than the one installed above his head. “Colloquially known as Body Worn Cameras or B.W.V. for short. I am sure they are given or referred to by other common vernaculars too. These are extremely cool!” he remarked, with animation coming into his voice, as he turned the small black, rectangular object over in his hands. “The U.E.O. must have the right connections and spent a lot of money, as these are top of the line. Concealable, high-tech and very functional, and able to record continually for hours, whether the wearer is standing in one place, or moving around in the field. I have known them to be used by some foreign government officials, and heard rumours of them being used by unscrupulous business people who like to spy on their competition without them knowing about it.”

_'Now, how would someone like you know those kind of details?'_ Krieg silently asked himself with genuine intrigue. He doubted that even having a friend with a passion for photography and electronics would have taught the teenager those kind of secrets. This sort of knowledge went way beyond being intelligent or smart, and it was never more clearer how much that they had been seriously underestimating Lucas. Circles one wouldn't normally find anybody outside the military travelling within, unless they had top-notch security clearance. _'Foreign governments and spies? How much could Lucas possibly know at fourteen years of age?'_

“There were older versions, but they didn't record as well and had a limited memory capacity. Often they would stop working as soon as the user too a step outside of the launch, or the image that was too distorted to be of use in sending back vital intel,” Krieg explained. “These do have a much wider reception and the sound recording on them is fairly good compared to those older models. There have been a lot of advances in the last twelve months. I haven't had the opportunity to use one of them myself. He had started this tour thinking that he would be the one doing all of the talking and teaching, but the tables had certainly been turned when it came to both types of cameras.”

“This model comes with both audio and visual capabilities, which isn't always the case. Some less expensive ones only come with visual, and the operational distance is limited,” Lucas continued to elaborate, as he inspected the camera at the same time. “These are definitely state-of-the-art, and although I haven't used one of them personally either, my friend has talked about these endlessly when they were being developed. They are designed for a myriad of purposes in mind; everything from commercial enterprise to aiding law enforcement officers, and of course, enhance the objectives for the military in close encounter in both friendly and hostile situations. Nick always wanted to get his hands on one to pull it apart and see the workings inside for himself, but could never afford the price tag.”

Krieg had been leaning against the door arch of the cockpit, but now glanced down watch and noted the amount of time that had passed.

“Well, I think that about wraps up the tour for today, and includes the stuff that you shouldn't know about. A timely reminder to keep still until the sea launch makes a complete stop, and keep all arms, legs and any other additional or protruding body parts inside the cabin until we reach the docking bay. Please listen to your launch pilot at all times, and don't forget to tip them generously as you are leaving because they desperately need the money.”

“We are already in the docking bay, Krieg,” Lucas pointed out, laughing at the man's comical antics and comments. “And the launch never moved the entire time.”

“There is always one unsatisfied passenger who wants to cause trouble,” Ben joked, as the two exited the vessel. “Any last minute personal luggage can wait until the morning.”

“What is on the agenda now?” the teenager asked, noting that the day was coming to a close. “Thanks for the tour, and I mean _'all of it'”_ he added, glad that Krieg had added his own personal flavour to showing him around. From anybody else, it would have been a completely different story, and a whole lot less to see.

“How about you and I go get something to eat,” Krieg suggested. “Then afterwards, we can start pouring over those charts of the Florida Keys that I mentioned earlier, and try to work out where you are headed tomorrow?”

“Sure, I can join you in the mess hall, but I am not very hungry right now,” Lucas admitted. “I don't want a full meal tonight. A drink and something light and not so heavy on my stomach.”

Ben listened, and wondered about the cause behind the lack of appetite. Something involving his father, and part of what he was already dealing with? Another reason concerning the impending departure tomorrow morning that the teenager wasn't forthcoming about? Lucas didn't appear to be masking any unresolved emotions right at this particular moment. Maybe he was becoming better at disguising his fear and anxiety from those who were still learning what signs to look out for.

* * *

Entering the mess hall for dinner, Ben thought that the teenager would have baulked more at the number of crew in the room and the noise level. Lucas didn't say anything, but this was certainly somewhere he wanted to be right now. Both of them grabbed a tray and joined the end of the line in front of the service tables.

The head chef Don was present and could see Lucas wanting to change his mind about staying, and doing so only because Krieg was standing alongside of him. As they edged closer to being able to make a selection, he waited until they were the last two people to drum up some casual conversation.

“Captain Bridger tells me there is an exciting trip planned for tomorrow, Lucas?”

The teenager selected one of the containers of dessert on offer, “A few days away with him and Doctor Westphalen. I cannot confirm the exciting part yet, but hopefully some different scenery.”

“Are you at least taking him with you out of my hair?” Don joked, pointing a thumb in Krieg's direction.

Lucas had to suppress the bubble of laughter at the resulting scoffed expression on Ben's face, “I tried to talk the Captain around, Don, I really did. To help you out.”

“Now wait a darn minute..........” Ben started to object in the most strenuous of terms.

“Thank you for at least trying,” Don answered with a cheeky wink. “I guess the rest of the crew here will be stuck with him like normal until you all return.”

“The Captain did finally agree to let him off here after a few days and stay elsewhere overnight,” the teenager offered, continuing the charade. He knew if he looked at Ben's indignant expression,then he would not have been able to keep a straight face. “Sorry, that is the best I could come up with at such short notice.”

“I won't forget, Lucas,” Don declared, shaking the kids hand in mock appreciation. “Anything you want in return, you name it.”

“Name it? Stuck with me?” Krieg challenged, willing to take the knocks on the chin. He was getting a kick out of the teenager joining in with the chef, even if it was at his expense. “Mark my words, I won't forget either of you!” he declared, adding to his tray before turning away and walking to a vacant table.

“I had better follow him before he explodes,” Lucas responded with a chuckle. Their taunting of Ben had helped the time go a little faster. The chatter echoing in the room lessening considerably, and the seated crowd thinning out.

Don looked at Lucas' tray and saw that it still only had one dessert and a cold drink. “Not having anything else for dinner?” feeling obliged to say something, but still let the teenager be in charge of his own choices.

“I decided to do everything in reverse this time around, which is why I chose a dessert,” Lucas answered. “Don't worry, this is plenty and will tide me over until morning.”

“Remember to fill me in with everything that happens once you get back,” Don prompted as he watched the teenager turn away and walk towards Krieg. They had taken a slide back in encouraging him about food today, but maybe that was going to happen from time to time. The head chef thought they had climbed up that hill a little more, but guessed that set backs were bound to occur.

* * *

When Lucas sat down across the table from him, Ben had some of the same thoughts and concerns running through his head as he saw how light Lucas' tray was. He decided that there needed to be a different approach to the problem, and now wasn't the time to keep beating the subject in the same way.

On the eve before the trio was due to leave, there wasn't going to be an opportunity to think of a workable solution. No doubt Bridger and Kristin would do their best as a team on the island. When they came back after that few day's break, and if things had not improved, maybe it was time to talk together and come up with new strategies of encouragement.

The teenager was satisfied with the amount and choice of food he had made, judging that he would be able to argue that very point if Doctor Westphalen pressed him about whether he had eaten food or not. Krieg was pleased to note that he wasn't displaying the same hesitation or nervousness from earlier in the day, when they were talking in the same room. Tiredness was becoming more noticeable, but it didn't feel right for him to be telling the kid to get some sleep.

Lucas could see the wheels of thought turning around in Ben's mind, and if he thought about it hard enough, he was sure what the topics would be. For now though, he didn't want to do that, and swallowed any comments on the tip of his tongue, along with his soda.

Ben consumed his own meal, keeping the conversation between them about the trip and what activities the Captain may have devised. Whilst Lucas delivered the used trays to Don in the kitchen, Krieg left for a few brief moments to grab the oceanographic charts that he had hinted at earlier.

When he returned, Ben had in his hands a portable tablet device, and a series of paper charts rolled up and tucked up under one arm. Lucas rescued the paper charts before they fell to the floor and started to spread them across the table.

Ben began looking through them and arranging them according to the information he was looking for, and hoping to show Lucas. Whilst he was doing that, Lucas picked up the tablet and switched it on, thinking that it had to be a more up-to-date method.

“Wouldn't this be quicker?” the teenager asked, as the display opened up. “How do you even decipher and read what is on the screen?”

“Oh ye, young apprentice,” Krieg replied with a grin. “The information provided on the tablet would certainly be more recent. Tonight, I am thinking like Bridger. He is old school, and seasoned naval guys from his generation, take advantage of these older nautical maps.”

“Yeah, I guess he would,” Lucas agreed, thinking about what little he knew about the Captain's background. He did seem to like to do things in a particular way, and going by some of the objects that he kept on display in his quarters, that was a logical assumption for Ben to make.

“There are a couple of different types here to look over. Each one represents is a graphical representation of something different, and together or individually, they can be a very useful tool,” Ben explained with patience. “Each chart has a prescribed scale at the bottom. Topographical maps are going to give you details about the depth of water and the height of any surrounding bits of land.”

“They will also show natural landmarks and features of the seabed or sea-floor, the coastline so that any hazards can be navigated around. Information on tides and the deep ocean currents, all essential resources for successful marine navigation. With the tablet in your hand, you can only see a portion of any one map at a time. The ability to zoom in and out as necessary does have its advantages. However, with these charts laid out like this, there is much more to see overall.”

“So much to learn about these that I would never have suspected before,” Lucas remarked, drinking in every detail and listening intently. “Where do you think we are headed tomorrow? I don't really mind it being a mystery and not knowing. I guess Bridger will show Kristin and I soon enough tomorrow morning when we set out.”

“Using all the skills that I have, I believe we need to take into account areas like this..................,” Krieg started to circle. “This whole area is the Florida Keys, where SeaQuest is currently headed. Over here, the Naval Base at Key West is located,” Ben described, using the tip of a finger to follow the features on the map.

With both of them looking down at the surface of the table, neither of them heard or saw someone enter the mess hall. Bridger had eaten a quick snack dinner himself an hour earlier, and had only come in to get a hot cup of coffee. He saw the two friends seated at the table, and pouring over something of interest. He decided to find out what they were so curious about.

“Having fun gentlemen?” came his voice from behind, startling them both.

“Whoa!, Sir!” Krieg yelled out in total surprise. “Talk about sneaking up on people.”

“Captain.......,” Lucas admonished, feeling the man's hand touch his good shoulder in friendship. He couldn't deny that he had jumped nearly as high as Ben in fright.

“Sneaking? I came in here to get a coffee,” Bridger said in his own defence, but he had a lingering grin on his face at being able to catch out the Morale Officer when he least expected it. “My job description calls for keeping personnel on their toes at all times, Lieutenant.” He was pleased to see that Lucas wasn't upset and had quickly brushed aside any embarrassment.

Bridger looked over the top of their heads, and down at the various nautical charts and had a good sense of what they were trying to achieve. The smirk on his face returned, knowing that he still had the upper hand in that respect too. “Looking over those maps won't do either of you any good, but you certainly get marks for trying, Ben.”

“Oh, come on, Captain, you have to give us a hint, Sir!” Ben pleaded.

“There are a still a couple of small jobs to complete before I retire for the night,” Bridger said, redirecting the conversation. “Everything packed in the launch as requested?”

“Yes, Sir, everything except personal belongings, which won't take much time tomorrow morning,” Ben answered dutifully.

“How about you, Lucas?”

“Ah, yeah, all done,” the teenager offered, not wanting to admit to their being no packing to speak of. “I am about to head back to my cabin now anyway. Ben, do you need a hand to pack these up?”

“Nah, I have it covered,” Ben answered. “Thanks for your help this afternoon,” he added.

“I was planning on calling by your cabin last, Lucas, if you are going to be there,” Bridger gauged. He had picked up on the same level of fatigue as Ben, and hoping that work wasn't on the teenager's agenda tonight.

Lucas stood up from the table. “Yeah, I will be there. I am not planning on doing too much for the next few hours except wind down. Catch you both later.”

Both Krieg and Bridger were pleased to hear that statement and watched as the teenager left the mess hall.

“Let's hope that is truly the case,” Bridger commented. “Tomorrow morning, there are a few last minute jobs and instructions that I will give to specific crew members before we embark on this journey.”

“I will go and retrieve that cap for you now, Sir, and drop it off to you. I got a little side-tracked this afternoon with loading the launch.”

“How did the tour go?” Nathan asked. He had been waiting to see if Lucas was going to tell him about it.

“Very well, Sir, he seemed genuinely interested in learning and even taught me a thing or three, which I was totally unprepared for. I left showing him the controls of the cockpit for you tomorrow, thinking that you would enjoy that task yourself,” Krieg replied.

Ben was right about the controls, Nathan was looking forward to being able to spend some time with Lucas and explain about the different controls of the launch as they travelled. Something that the two of them could do together. Nevertheless there was something missing from his brief and concise answer that said a whole lot more.

“A problem I should know about?” he asked. In the back of his mind, Bridger was wondering what Lucas managed to teach Ben within the short space of a few hours.

Ben looked back at the Captain for a minute, wondering how he figured it out, but smiled, rocking back on his heels and glad that he didn't have to say it out loud. The man's intuitiveness when it came to Lucas certainly could not be underestimated.

“There isn't much to tell you, Sir. You know I would, if I thought that I should be. Lucas was great company this afternoon, and was playing along, talking pleasantly. He would answer a question when asked, participated in everything that I was doing. Even coming in here, there was a moment of hesitation, but that smoothed out, and he and Don were making jokes at my expense.”

“And.......?” Bridger said. He was nodding his head at everything he was hearing, and could have put the possible cause down to residual mixed feelings from their earlier discussion in his quarters.

“He is tired, and needs sleep yes, but that is not it. Lucas says he is looking forward to going on this trip, and I believe him,” Ben reported. “But something was off, and I haven't been able to quite put my finger on what,” he said, thinking along a different route.

“Thank you, I do appreciate your honesty. I will be making going by his cabin my last point of call for the night. I am hoping he may have fallen asleep by then.”

* * *

Bridger went back to his own quarters momentarily, whilst Krieg was searching through boxes in his storage area.

Nathan was planning on making contact with the person he was arranging to pick up and escort the invited crew members to his private island. When he reached his quarters, he had a change of heart, wanting to keep the mystery for as long as possible.

He would have the ability to contact them once he reached his island, and not have those crew members know before they were greeted at Key West on the fourth morning. By that time, it wouldn't matter so much if Lucas or Kristin found out who the person was. Although Bridger was hoping to keep the identity from them too until they were introduced face to face.

He would leave details in a sealed envelope he intended to hand to Ford before departure in the morning, in case he was unsuccessful in being able to reach them. Nathan was looking forward to this reunion as well, knowing that he was the one who was the one responsible for maintaining the distance and keeping the silence between them. They had tried to reach out, more than once or twice, and had the door firmly slammed shut in their face. Time had changed his outlook after Carol's death, but it hadn't always been that way. Sometimes he was too stubborn for this own good.

As he was securing his door, Ben Krieg was approaching his quarters, with the item he had requested in hand.

“I located a brand new one that will suit your purpose nicely, Sir,” Ben commented, a huge grin on his face, as he handed over the brand new box. “The sizing should be correct, but let me know if it is not.”

A part of him wanted to be there when it was presented, and see the look on the teenager's face. But he also recognized it as a chance for Lucas and the Captain to make more of a connection between the two of them. “Let me know how it turns out. I am sure you have nothing to worry about, Sir, and it will be a well received surprise.”

“Thank you, I hope you are right,” Bridger answered simply. “I really appreciated all your efforts today with Lucas and the supplies.” There were quite a few words he could of said in gratitude, but they seemed inadequate and the meaning behind them would be have been lost.

Running his hand over the outside of the box, there were a lot of thoughts running through his head. About the contents, the impending trip and more. All of which he could assume that Ben could safely give a list of, but respected his judgement enough about when it came to Lucas.

* * *

After leaving the mess hall, Lucas didn't have any plans as he had told Bridger and Ben. As he walked by the moon pool, Darwin came swimming up to the edge of the tank, and the teenager couldn't resist stopping to spend some time with him.

As he glanced about the immediate area, the boy noticed that is was nice and quiet at this time of the evening. There were no scientific staff from Kristin's department at any of the benches or computers. The area was devoid of any military personnel too, which was just as uncommon. Normally the moon pool deck was a hive of activity and with people coming and going as they went about their duties.

Lucas was grateful for the solitude. If there had been other people present when he was walking past, he probably would have given a quick hello to his dolphin friend and kept going. With nobody about or watching on, he was content to stay a little longer.

“Hey, Darwin,” Lucas greeted the mammal, leaning on the edge of the pool and reaching in and rubbing his hands gently over the smooth, sensitive head. He knew that he would be able to spend time with the dolphin during their break, but not being able to swim in the water with him both here and there was depressing. There was only so much interaction to be had between them while petting and talking through the vocorder.

The vocorder control was in the designated bracket on the wall on the other side of the tank, but the teenager didn't bother to retrieve it. The control would transmit any speech that came through easily enough.

“Are you ready for the big adventure tomorrow?” Lucas asked. He had no qualms about how odd it sounded or looked to anybody that he was talking openly to an animal. A better friendship than most of the human ones he had ever known.

The dolphin raised it's head out of the water, splashing the teenager as it opened his beak, “Darwin go with Bridger.” It sounded as if he was happy to be going.

Lucas wanted to reply openly that he was happy to be going to, but that was only partly true. With the time to departure growing shorter, and looming in the back of his mind, his fears about his father had been quickly gathering strength over the past several hours. It had been gnawing away at him even when he and Ben were pouring over the nautical maps in the mess hall. Hopefully Ben had been too distracted in showing him the various charts to take enough notice in his efforts to quell the anxiety knotting up his insides.

“Yeah, me too. I bet you are looking forward to going home for a few days. At least you will have more freedom than the tanks on-board and the aqua tubes. You will be able to swim in the shallow warm waters. SeaQuest is usually down at depths where the surrounding environment is darker for you, and the temperature of the water much colder.”

The thoughts rattling around in Lucas' mind started to become darker too. With the mention of the word _'home'_ he wondered if he would ever find a place for himself. So far in life, such a thing had only been a fleeting wish and wanting everything that it offered. Somewhere that offered a different kind of protection and safety and not only from the weather. Knowing what it felt like to have one and that indescribable moment of pride in belonging somewhere. Surely such a feeling could only be part of a dream.

Lucas was brought back from his far-away thoughts, when he was hit with a sudden jet of water from the dolphin to his face. He clearly hadn't been paying attention, and Darwin was letting him know it.

“Sorry, I drifted away there for a minute.”

“ _Darwin go home.”_

“Yes, Darwin will be going home tomorrow,” the teenager said with a smile. “I haven't seen this mystery place yet. You and the Captain can show me around when we get there, huh?”

“ _Lucas go home too.”_

The dolphin didn't see the smile drop away from Lucas' face with that electronic chirp.

“I don't have a home yet, Darwin,” he answered, trying to push down the swell of emotion that had been evoked by his own words. _“And maybe not any time soon,”_ the boy told himself silently.

The mammal wasn't to be deterred though, _“Darwin's home, Lucas home now.”_

Lucas was taken back by the dolphin's off-hand comment. “You really think so?” speaking with a heavy helping of scepticism. “You get to choose where you want to live and come and go as your please. There on the island, in the open ocean, or here on SeaQuest. But it is not as easy as that for me no matter where I am.”

One of the security personnel assigned to the evening shift walked into the moon pool area, breaking up any further talk between the boy and dolphin. Lucas didn't want any anonymous and well-intended report to reach the Captain about him having second thoughts about leaving the sanctuary that Bridger had created for him.

Heading back to his cabin as Darwin swam out of the moon pool tank, he couldn't shake the anxiety that had been renewed earlier in the day, and a constant companion all afternoon. Some intense gaming might help him deal with any pent up negativity or thoughts about his father and get rid of them before their departure in the morning.

The Captain kept promising that he was safe whilst on-board, but all of that was about to change. What was going to be his father's next move?

* * *

Lucas got about twenty minutes into playing his game when he heard a knock behind him on the hatch door. The movement of the game controller suddenly stopped in his hand, and he contemplated whether he really wanted to answer it at all. The more he thought about his father and leaving tomorrow, the tighter his grip became on the handle, and the more erratic and unfocused his playing became. He was no longer hitting any target on the screen and his efforts of strategy diminished substantially.

He resumed using the handle of the joystick again, “Come in,” he called out, but didn't turn around to face his visitor. There was noticeable tension across his shoulders, and he was sitting very rigid against the back of the chair.

Bridger casually stepped into the small cabin after hearing the invitation to enter, holding onto the box that he had taken from Krieg a short time ago.

Standing inside the doorway, the Captain took stock of the boy's stiff posture and closed off body language. At first he thought the teenager was upset at the game he was playing, and suspected that he was losing whatever battle he was involved with. There were other obvious signs that indicated that Lucas was using what was on the screen as a distraction from what was really bothering him.

“Are you going to turn around and face me?” Bridger scolded lightly, wanting to make this visit a positive one. Maybe this was one of those times where teenager's got perturbed by interruptions to their on-line screen time.

Lucas placed the controller on the table in front of him and swivelled around in the chair to face the owner of the voice speaking to him.

“I am sorry, I didn't mean to be rude,” he apologized, running his hands through his tangled blond hair, and blowing out a large lungful of air as he tried to get his thoughts and feelings under control. He stood up, looking at Bridger and trying to find a grin, but was clearly struggling.

Bridger decided it was going to be up to him to break the ice and start a conversation between them, “I thought you might getting some sleep before tomorrow.”

“You would think so,” Lucas said, some of the tension leaving his face, but quickly replaced with a self depreciating smirk that wasn't hiding anything.

“Talk to me,” Bridger stated plainly, setting the box aside on top of the bunk bed. Lucas' eyes glanced sideways at the box for a moment, and his expression changed briefly to one of curiosity, before coming back and settling squarely on the Captain. He knew he needed to ask this question, but he was finding it difficult to get the words out.

“Please tell me that nobody will know where to find us?” he whispered, swallowing the lump lodged in his throat. The desperation showing in his eyes for the need of such reassurance was palpable. He needed Bridger to understand why he was asking.

Bridger could see the internal war raging within and knew that the teenager was hanging on for his answer. And he knew exactly which _'nobody'_ was being referred to without mentioning names. Now he knew why the boy had been hesitant and slow to turn around to face him when he first came into the cabin.

Nathan took half a step closer to the teenager, reaching out and running a supportive hand down his upper left arm as he spoke, “I promise you that only a few select people I completely trust will be told where we are. My friend who will be bringing the other crew members to us later in the week, has kept the location of my place secret for a long time until now. You don't need to worry about him.

“Thanks,” Lucas whispered softly, feeling guilty and embarrassed that he had to ask the question at all. When he looked back up at the Captain, there was no judgement at all on his face. The fear and anxiety were still present, but the Captain's promise allowed him to take a breath again rather than have him feeling that he was holding one in endlessly.

“Playing a game tonight were you?” Bridger brought up, changing the subject, but inwardly kicking himself and knowing he was sounding like an idiot. He had clearly been able to see what the boy was doing when he entered.

Lucas was appreciative of the man's efforts to talk about anything but what was currently weighing heavily on his mind.

“Yes, to relax like I told you earlier,” he answered, without admitting his fear stopping him from attempting sleep yet, and suspecting his explanation didn't really hold water. From the furious pace of the play Bridger had witnessed first hand, he doubted that it would help anyone relax.

Lucas' gaze was drawn back to the box sitting on his top bunk, “What did you bring?”

“Oh, just a little something that you should have already been given when you first came on-board,” Bridger replied with a smile. “All crew members are supposed to have one provided as part of their official SeaQuest uniform. Some personnel consider wearing them as a little more optional until they are reminded otherwise by Commander Ford or Hitchcock. A little oversight on my part that you were overlooked at receiving one. Open it up, it is for you.”

Lucas' expression switched to one of suspicion as his brain started going off in one particular tangent about what he could be receiving.

If the Captain thought he was going to putting on one of those black jumpsuits, or even one of the blue ones from Kristin's scientific department, then he was going to be sorely disappointed. The teenager didn't want to appear ungrateful, but he wasn't looking to dress in any kind of uniform at any time. Some people needed one for their occupation, or to demonstrate that they belonged to a specific organisation like nursing staff at hospitals, students that went to private schools and the military.

Although he didn't have much of a wardrobe to speak of, conforming and being requested to wear any items of clothing because everybody else expected you to, totally went against his individual personality, belief system and sense of style. He respected the people on SeaQuest who were required to do so and they did look smart, but they weren't for Lucas Wolenczak.

The teenager picked up the box, surprised by the lightness of the contents. Whatever was inside certainly didn't weigh anything at all, so perhaps he had jumped to the wrong conclusion. He started to lift the lid, but looked back at Bridger, seeking permission to do so. He had picked up on the words _'wearing'_ and _'uniform'_ and was puzzled as to what could be inside and how he fitted into this whole equation.

“Yes, open it up,” Bridger repeated. “I want you to have it. It won't bite you,” he encouraged, remembering Krieg's report of how the boy had reacted at the acceptance of something considered a gift.

Lucas gave a partial lopsided grin at the Captain's comment, but any words on the tip of his tongue fell away as he lifted out a black baseball cap. Turning it over in his hands and facing the visor towards himself, the cobalt blue triangle with white edging in the background and the gold embroidery of _'SeaQuest DSV'_ and the hammerhead shark emblazoned and layered proudly over the top.

“T-this is for me?” he finally managed to get out. He gently ran the tip of his index finger over the raised thread symbol and lettered patch.

“Yes, this one is for you,” Bridger said, seeing the emotions swirl around and knowing that being given a simple gift was having a profound and overwhelming impact on the teenager. “I already have one, and this one is a size or two small in diameter.”

The teenager took half a step forward and gave Nathan a brief and awkward embrace, “Thank you,” he whispered, unable to think of anything even remotely adequate to describe his current frame of mind. Lucas didn't know how appropriate it was to give the newly appointed commanding officer of a military submarine a hug.

Bridger was taken aback by the spontaneous display of gratitude, “You are most welcome,” he said, giving a light chuckle, only too pleased to respond to the gesture and add a gentle squeeze to his left shoulder for good measure. The boy needed someone to be willingly spend quality time with him, without any conditions, strings or expectations wanted in return.

Nathan recalled Ben's remarks about affection being foreign and unfamiliar to him and actively avoiding most forms of physical contact. He could guess at the amount of courage it had taken for someone this shy to push themselves outside of their comfort zone. The two of them being the only ones inside the cabin probably played a major factor. Lucas was someone who had been missing out on a lot of basic positive human interaction for far too long. He may be living on SeaQuest through no choice of his own, but he wanted to feel included.

“I gave it to you now, hoping you would put it in your bag to take with you tomorrow,” the Captain told him. “The afternoon sun on the island can get a little hot this time of year, so you are going to need something to protect your head from the heat. You are welcome to leave it here until we return it you prefer.”

“No, I want to take it with me,” Lucas affirmed, placing the cap back inside the box temporarily and setting it off to the side. Taking the box seemed unnecessary, and he didn't want to remove the cap from the box and leave it inside his small bag overnight.

“I saw you wearing a pair of sunglasses on the launch you and I shared the first time. Bringing them along might be a good idea too,” Bridger stated. He didn't recall seeing the teenager sporting them when he and Ben came across him asleep on the second launch.

“Oh, well I did have some like you saw,” Lucas replied, his heart sinking at having to derive a false explanation for their absence. “They must be at home somewhere. I didn't have them with me when I came back.”

The Captain readily accepted the reason, but saw the slight dip of his facial expression and knew that there was more to the story that the boy didn't want to reveal.

Lucas didn't want to tell Bridger that the pair they were talking about were at home, like he said. However, now they were in pieces in a garbage bag somewhere, thanks to his father's efforts. Before he had the chance of giving an explanation for his lateness, and before his impending punishment had been carried out. During his most recent visit home, he had entered the man's office and the thin frames had been ripped off the front of his shirt. Unfortunately they became a casualty of his father's boot, the dark lenses shattered beyond recognition.

The teenager knew he didn't need to remind Bridger what else had fallen victim to the man's unbridled fury and stomped on that night. The sunglasses in question had been a spare pair from his friend Nick, who had given them to him when he upgraded to new ones. It would be a while before he would have sufficient funds to be able to afford to buy another set of his own.

Down at his feet, Nathan spotted the small bag that he had seen a few times in Lucas' possession, and suspected it would be what he was using as luggage tomorrow. It didn't look much different now to when he and Kristin had found it with Cynthia Holt's stash of medication inside. So much for his bold comment in the Ward Room about getting packed.

“Got everything together that you want to take?”

Lucas immediately looked down at the bag and realised that its outer appearance was a pitiful site. Scuffed and not holding a lot inside of it. “Yeah, the clothes are still in the bag, and I only have one pair of sneakers in the way of shoes, so I will be wearing those on my feet in the morning.”

The Captain nodded his head, but made a mental note to himself to talk to Ben Krieg in the morning about ordering the boy some more clothes and footwear, without making a fuss about it. If his father wasn't going to provide what Lucas needed, then Nathan was perfectly willing for the U.E.O. or himself to step in and provide something. The tricky part was going to be getting Lucas to accept anything being purchased on his behalf. Even if it was something like clothes to wear. He had turned Krieg down outright when offering to order replacement snacks for his stash jars.

“All of my tasks are completed for now. I will see you in the morning. Tomorrow is going to be a great day,” Bridger proclaimed as he prepared to leave. “I am headed back to my own quarters and I know that Kristin was planning on getting a little more rest tonight. Please try and get some sleep if you can, I am about to do the same.”

“I will try,” Lucas promised, as he watched the Captain open the hatch door. “Thanks again for stopping by with the cap.”

Rubbing at his eyes after locking the door behind Bridger, the teenager was true to his word and was intending to try and sleep tonight. The computer game he was playing had logged him out due to inactivity and he had no desire to start it again.

Bridger's talk and gift had lifted his spirits somewhat about tomorrow, and the bubbles of excitement about the island began to rise again. However, he couldn't suppress entirely or deny the unsettled feelings that were set lower down in the pit of his stomach, and it had nothing to do with a lack of food.

* * *

At three o'clock in the morning and Ben Krieg was silently cursing that he had to get up now, knowing that his alarm was set to go off in another couple of hours anyway.

Padding in bare feet down the corridor to the mess hall, his intention was to grab a cold bottle of water and take it back to his cabin.

At first, he thought that the room was in virtual darkness, except for a few security lights strategically placed around the room. He was relying on those to navigate his way to the fridge, and had grabbed what he came for. He was just about to walk out, when movement from the shadows caught his attention.

Looking into the pitch black room, the silhouette of a lone figure could be seen sitting at one of the tables. A voice spoke to him, “What are you doing in here this time of the night?”

Ben started walking towards the table and from the dull illumination emitted nearby, threw back a question of his own. “That should be my question to you, Lucas.”

Approaching the table, he could see that the teenager had a cup of coffee off to the left-hand side, and a deck of cards spread out on the surface of the table. Taking a closer look he could see the pattern, “Solitiare?”

“Yeah, it's pretty much one of the few cards games you can play on your own,” the teenager answered. “Pull up a chair if you want,” he invited.

“Aren't you supposed to be getting some sleep before you leave in a few hours?” Ben queried.

“I promised Bridger that I would try as he was leaving my cabin. And I can honestly say for a good part of two hours, I tried to live up to that. Everything went south about three hours ago, which is how long I have been sitting in here before you came.”

“You have been sitting in here in the dark all alone during that time playing cards?” Krieg asked, taking a look at the kids' face and judging from himself that the problem about his sleeping pattern were still clearly evident.

“Nothing else to do much, when I didn't feel like playing a computer game,” Lucas replied casually. “It wasn't fair to wake anybody else up. You don't need to keep me company either, I am sure you have a lot to do already today.”

_'The Captain wouldn't see it like that, Lucas'_ Ben thought to himself, getting the distinct impression that he was avoiding sleep again, just like he had reported.

“I came for the water, but it won't be long before my alarm will be going off,” Ben countered. “If it was a better time of the day, I could be teaching you thing or three about cards.”

“Wow, you mean to tell me that I have caught the great Ben Krieg out at a time when he isn't at his absolute best?” Lucas challenged with a daring and cheeky smirk.

After the initial shocked expression faded, the man's own grin widened significantly at the open taunt from the teenager.

“Go turn up some of the lights in here and refill your coffee cup, Wolenczak, and let me show you how to shuffle the deck for a real game of cards,” Krieg ordered.

* * *

By the time Bridger arrived in launch bay area, just after seven o'clock in the morning, Kristin was standing by a couple of large boxes. He was in time to see the back end of Ben Krieg enter the designated sea launch carrying another large box.

“Be careful with that one, Lieutenant, I don't want the contents getting tossed about when it took so long for me to carefully pack everything separately,” Kristin called out.

“Good morning,” Nathan greeted the doctor, carrying a bag of his own containing his personal clothes and belongings. He was currently dressed in casual attire, and probably didn't look that much different than the day Kristin had accused him of being a tourist.

“Good morning, Sir,” Ben greeted him, as he exited the smaller vessel. He had been planning to grab the next box for Doctor Westphalen, but changed his mind. “I will take custody of that for you, Captain, and see that it is safely stored on-board before your departure.”

Nathan relinquished his hold on the bag easily enough, but there was also a sealed envelope in his other hand that caught Ben's attention.

“You still have several of my boxes to stow on-board, Mr Krieg, before you start offering your services to others,” Kristin pointed out to him good-naturedly. She had laughed out loud at the expression on his face when he had first seen the stack of boxes she insisted were necessary for four days.

“Don't remind me, Doc,” Krieg answered with mock exaggeration. “One could do themselves a major back injury after loading the amount of luggage you are taking all on your own.”

Kristin and Nathan shared a small laugh together at the Morale Officer's antics. But the doctor side of her noticed something else about him, wondering if the Captain had picked up on it yet. “Does Ben seem a little fatigued to you this morning than normal?”

“I haven't been here long enough yet to take a good look at his appearance,” Nathan answered truthfully, but was concerned that Kristin had noted something about the man's health. They were already dealing with one person who had a troubled sleeping pattern. He didn't want it to become contagious on-board and spread to anyone else.

Before there could be any further discussion between them, Commander Jonathan Ford arrived, carrying his usual clip-board in hand. “Good morning, Captain, Doctor Westphalen.”

“Good Morning, Commander,” came the pleasant tone from Kristin.

“Good Morning, Jonathan, I see you are up bright and early like some of us,” the Captain greeted his second-in-command. “Can I safely assume that we are still on-course and the scenery outside should have begun to change dramatically since leaving the harbour last night?”

“Yes Sir, and Tim O'Neill and Miguel Ortiz are at this moment at their respective stations, ready to assist you as you leave the launch bay,” Ford reported. “The SeaQuest is continuing to cruise at an impressive speed, but as you would expect, the depth is very different to what we are used to at Pearl Harbour. We are navigating the current at two thousand feet. I estimate that we should reach our destination later this afternoon, a good hour ahead of schedule. As for the scenery outside, we are still a little deeper to see much of a difference yet, but I do suspect that will change before lunch time.”

“Thank you, Commander, that is pleasing to hear, and allows me to relax a little more, knowing that the helm and everybody on-board is in experienced hands,” Bridger commented. “Make sure you put the show on both main screens on the Bridge and throughout the other departments as possible. Although not everybody is coming on this short break, I want all of them to witness the spectacular gifts of nature that will be on display in this neck of the woods.”

Ben emerged from the launch to pick up the last of the boxes to be packed, “Be right with everyone, as soon as I get this last piece secured,” he said, seeing the small group mingling on the deck nearby.

“Did you see what I was talking about, Nathan?” Kristin asked.

“See what, Doctor Westphalen?” Ford questioned, knowing that he was coming in late to the conversation in relation to something about Krieg.

Before Kristin or the Captain could answer the Executive Officer, Ben came back out of the launch. Nathan decided he was going to address the problem right here and now, before he left, and that started with some honesty from the man himself.

“Lieutenant, I know you have been doing an exemplary job on getting all of the supplies we will need, and loading them, without much assistance,” Bridger began. “I hope you are still maintaining a healthy fitness routine and have been taking care of yourself as well? The reason I ask, is that the doctor suspects that you didn't get a lot of sleep last night?”

Ford listened with intrigue as the Captain's observations. Since the meeting in the Ward Room, he had been unable to find fault with his work ethic. He had tackled putting the supplies together and ensuring they were being loaded securely. At the same time, he had carried out his own duties without falling behind or slacking off. Like the Captain, he had not been in the launch bay long enough to notice the tiredness they were accusing the man of.

Ben hesitated for a minute, debating with himself whether or not he should be telling the Captain about his early morning activities in the mess hall with Lucas. Upon second thought, if he look tired after a few hours of lost sleep, then he could be certain that the teenager wouldn't be able to disguise his own tiredness. Especially with Kristin. She was liable to be watching him like a hawk on this trip anyway, and reporting anything quickly enough back to Bridger.

So far he had maintained an honesty policy with the crew about Lucas on most occasions. It was probably better to give the Captain and Kristin a heads up that there was still a lot of work to do in that area.

“I am fine, Sir, thank you for asking, and you Doc, for pointing out the bags under my eyes,” he replied with a laugh at himself. “I did get some sleep, but woke up at about three o'clock, way before my morning alarm. I was only planning to be up long enough to get a bottle of water from the mess hall. But when I got there, I saw that I wasn't the only one awake at that hour.”

“Lucas?” Bridger guessed with an audible sigh, knowing that the teenager had already admitted to being awake during the early morning hours, before last night.

“He wasn't doing anything wrong, per sè, merely drinking a cup of coffee on his own, in the dark, playing solitaire with a deck of cards,” Ben informed the group. “I can only go by the estimation that Lucas gave me about how long he had been sitting there when it came up in our conversation. Three hours. But he did mention that he had made a promise to you, Sir, about trying to get some sleep, so I assume he had tried earlier. I didn't want to leave him there alone at such an unreasonable hour, so I stayed to keep him company.”

“I am not happy to hear about him missing out on more sleep again. Nathan, we really do need to find a workable solution, preferably before this trip is over,” the Doctor said adamantly.

“I agree,” Nathan said in agreement, but wanting to hear the end of Ben's take about their conjoined nocturnal activities.

“Neither of us went back to bed, but we parted ways about six a.m. this morning, when I came here to start getting organized, and he went back to his cabin. Don only came into the kitchen an hour earlier, but he was busy getting breakfast started for the crew.” Ben decided to omit the details about teaching him a few hands of a different game of cards.

“Did you see Lucas have any breakfast this morning, Mr Krieg?” Kristin asked, already suspecting the answer, given the account of what time he was awake. “Even if he isn't sleeping, he really should have something in his stomach before we set of this morning. And during his critical years of growth, something more than coffee.”

“Thank you, Ben, I know you would have been looking out for him,” Bridger remarked. “Although I am not happy to hear about his sleeping either, I want to start this trip off on the right foot. With a positive mindset for all of us. I am hoping this time away will allow us to help him change some of these choices for the better.”

Reluctantly, Kristin knew that Nathan was right, and she didn't want to start berating him over his sleeping and eating habits as soon as she saw him this morning. The two of them working together over the next four days would make a difference.

* * *

“Speaking of positive things,” Ben said with a good deal of anticipation, “How did the surprise gift go over with him?”

“It went very well, Ben, and thanks again for your help,” Nathan gave in reply, a wide grin on his face, but he wasn't going to elaborate on what went on between him and Lucas in his cabin.

Krieg was intrigued by the very happy vibes he was getting from the Captain, but he didn't ask further. Like the card games, some details of what had gone on had been deliberately left out. “It was nothing, Sir, forget it.”

“Commander, can you speak with Doctor Westphalen for a moment. My apologies to you both, but I want to have a quiet word or two with the Lieutenant,” Bridger instructed. The idea he had in mind may not work yet. He could tell Kristin what he was planning for Ben to do, once on his island.

“No problem, Sir,” Ford responded. “Doctor, if you care to take a look, I think you will find this schedule provided by Mr Levine for your department to your liking,” he added, drawing Kristin away out of earshot from the Captain and Krieg. Both of them were wondering what all the secrecy was about, but didn't want to intrude.

Ben gave the Captain his full attention, “Something I can do before you leave, Sir?”

“Not for me, Ben, but something for Lucas, while we are away. I wanted to have a quick word to you, and for the moment keep this between you and me,” Bridger explained. “Before he arrives here, I wanted to ask you about ordering some clothes for him on the quiet. Something that would suit his style, and his size. I saw the bag that he is intending to take with him.”

“The one that contained his mother's medication?” Krieg gauged. “From what I remember, it was fairly small.”

Bridger nodded that it was, “The same one. It only has two sets inside of it, and he tells me that the shoes he is wearing, are the only ones that he owns. You will have a better idea of what someone his age would like, rather than me. Use that baseball shirt in the laundry that they are trying to get the bloodstains out of for a size comparison. As for the shoes, I have no idea, but leave it up to your best judgement.”

“I have a few people I can contact who should be able to help with the clothing. Shoes may be a little more complicated, but let me handle that,” Krieg told the Captain, confident that he could find out without arousing suspicion with the teenager. “You are right though, he may not be too willing to accept them being purchased for him.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it,” Nathan said. “Everything on-board now?”

“Yes, Sir, except for one small bag that we have mentioned,” Krieg replied. “When you get to your island, there is a mobile trolley in there that will make unloading the supplies so much easier. I showed Lucas where it is. None of you should have any trouble.”

“Hello to everyone, what are you all standing around idly for?” came a familiar voice from behind them. “Anybody could mistake the launch bay for a bus stop.”

“Lucas,” Kristin was the first to return his greeting, pleased to see him. The teenager was dressed in jeans, a long-sleeved undershirt, with a baseball jersey over the top that had been seen before today.

“This is going to be a great time, Lucas,” Nathan smiled in greeting as he moved back closer towards the group. Ben followed, concluding the private discussion they had been having.

“Thought you must have gotten lost, I expected you over half an hour ago,” Krieg teased in return, looking down at his watch and noting the time. “Hey, what is that you have on the bottom of your shoe?”

“What?” the teenager asked, stopping to lift up one of his sneakers to see if something was stuck to the bottom. “There is nothing there, I don't see anything.”

Bridger inwardly rolled his eyes at the Lieutenant's obvious ploy, but then again, gave merit to the man's brazen frontal approach of the problem without drawing attention to what he was trying to achieve. Lucas hadn't objected at all when Ben casually inspected the bottom of the shoe, and was able to get a size from the sole.

_'Shrewd, Mr Krieg, very shrewd'_

Kristin and Ford shared a dubious look with each other, and their own conjecture confirmed by the expression on the Captain's face. They could see the Morale officer was up to something, but they didn't understand what.

“Sorry, my mistake, it looks fine now,” Ben apologised. “I thought you would be raring to go this morning.”

“Yeah well, that would be mostly your fault, Krieg, for keeping me awake,” the teenager returned, “It is too early to be doing anything at this hour of the day, but I wanted to make sure I was here in time to get a good spot.” He was aware that Kristin would already be scrutinizing him and picking up on his lack of sleep. His energy levels were charged enough for what lay ahead, fuelled by curiosity and the chance to experience something different.

Lucas could see the Captain glancing in his direction, with a smile on his face. He reached up with one hand, knowing what the man was taking note of.

“Sporting some nice new head-wear there, Lucas,” Krieg commented, chuckling at the manner in which the cap was sitting on the new owner.

“The Captain gave it to me last night,” Lucas gave in explanation, complete with a proud smile, “It is a fraction too big and it was sitting uncomfortably over the top of my ears, so to compensate for that, I decided to turn it around and wear it this way.”

“You have it on backwards,” Ben pointed out plainly. “I guess that is how the _'in crowd'_ keep being relevant.”

“It won't do you any good in the sun, turned around like that once we reach the island, but for now, how you have it is fine,” Bridger interjected, receiving a crooked grin of appreciation for his support.

“Trust me, it looks way cooler on me like this, than on you, Krieg,” Lucas taunted playfully. “Don't worry, Captain, by the time the sun gets too hot overhead, I should be parked in the shade of a palm tree instead.”

The missing half an hour that Ben had brought up, Lucas had spent in his cabin, psyching himself up. There were butterflies of excitement, mixed in with a heaped spoonful of negative feelings and emotions. No matter the promises and assurances that Bridger had given, his fears were genuine and were not going to evaporate overnight. For now, he was putting on his best smile, and wanting to participate.

Kristin walked a little closer towards Lucas, “Did you have any breakfast this morning?” she asked quietly, trying not to deliberately embarrass him, but wanting an honest answer.

Lucas didn't have enough time to come up with a credible lie, and couldn't hide the uncomfortable expression on his face quickly enough. “I was going to have something, but I was wary of my stomach becoming nauseous on the launch. This trip is going to be a few more hours than I have travelled in one before,” he admitted truthfully.

The doctor's warm smile at his honesty didn't waver, “Having a little something, even a piece of toast may have helped alleviate that problem to a degree.”

“Sorry,” he replied contritely, “I will remember that for next time. I was going to have coffee, but the thought of it sloshing around inside didn't sound appealing either.” The teenager didn't think it smart or to his advantage to bring up the fact that he didn't have any food in his stomach on those occasions to Kristin.

“Hold out your hand please,” she instructed, pleased to hear that he had stopped consuming caffeine hours earlier, before the start of their journey.

Lucas did what was requested, but it wasn't until she turned it over that he understood why. Discreetly, Kristin placed two gel capsules into his palm, gently closing his fingers around them. “Only take them when you feel that you need to.”

“Thank you,” he whispered, touched that she had remembered his propensity of suffering from motion sickness on boats. He gratefully accepted the medication and tucked into the top pocket of his jeans, hoping that taking them wouldn't become necessary.

“Don't feel ashamed or think of it as weakness, Lucas. I have some set aside for myself,” Kristin informed him.

“ _You do?' his eyes silently asked her with relief._ Inwardly, he wished that his face wasn't quite so readable to her.

* * *

“Kristin and Lucas, are both of you ready to buckle yourselves in and prepare to depart?” Bridger enquired, taking note of the time. Half past seven, it would be a good four hours before they would reach their destination, depending on the current. He wasn't expecting anything out of the ordinary other than a smooth ride.

“Yes! “Let's get started,” Lucas declared. “See you in a few days, Commander Ford,” he said to the man, giving a quick wave goodbye. “I am claiming the co-pilot seat,” he announced, entering the launch and waiting for the other two passengers to do the same.

Ben Krieg followed him, intending to demonstrate how to buckle the safety harness of the co-pilot chair, merely as a precaution. He had meant to do it yesterday afternoon, but forgot when he left showing the cock-pit controls up to the Captain. As a launch operative for a number of years, first-hand knowledge had taught him to prepare for the unpredictable. He didn't think that Bridger was going to be doing any speed records to get back home, and the waters of the Florida Keys should be peaceful and allow a smooth unobstructed voyage.

He wanted to wish the boy luck, without an audience or putting him on the spot in front of Ford or the Captain. Sometimes it purely was a guy thing.

Kristin was about to state that she was ready to get under-way as well, but turned at her name echoing from down the corridor.

“Doctor Westphalen!” her assistant called out. A moment later, Jane Edwards ran into the launch bay area, grasping something in her hands. She had to spend a moment catching her breath before she could talk.

“Jane, whatever could be so pressing that you had to run all this way?” she asked with concern. “At this hour of the morning I would expect to find you having breakfast.”

“Oh, I was, please believe me,” the petite woman stammered. “But then I remembered this coming in yesterday afternoon and noting the _'Urgent'_ written in red on the back. You were busy and I forgot to tell you about it until now. It looked too important to leave in your office and wait until you came back.”

Kristin took the large sized envelope from the woman and out of habit, glanced at the printed return address on the top left hand corner. The doctor immediately drew in a breath and gave a gasp of surprise. Turning it over, just as Jane had reported, the words 'Urgent and Confidential' stood out in stark contrast and in red ink. Carefully lifting the back flap and peeking inside, there was a folder marked with a name on the top. She quickly looked towards the launch, silently being thankful that Lucas had not been standing in the vicinity.

“Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Jane. You were correct in assuming that it was important and couldn't wait,” the doctor praised. “Mr Levine is capable of handling anything that may crop up until then. I will see you when we return,” she added, and watched her assistant head back towards the science department.

Nathan waited until the woman had walked away before approaching, wanting to know the cause of her reaction, “What is the matter?”

“These are the medical records that I requested from the Hospital Registrar for Lucas. He gave me the written permission I needed to conduct a search, but I was expecting it to take a little longer to receive any results,” she stated with some in-trepidation. “No doubt existing under more secrecy about what was being done medically, without being able to link it back to his father. No wonder I couldn't find anything initially under the surname 'Wolenczak'. This file shows records under the patient name of 'Lucas Holt'. ”

“His mother, Cynthia's name,” Nathan said, lowering his voice and watching the launch doors. They were both thinking the same thing. “Lucas doesn't need to know the contents right now does he?” Ben was one of the trusted few who knew about the boy's connection with surname Holt. That being said, however, the Captain was rather glad now that Lieutenant had followed Lucas into the launch and wasn't overhearing them either.

The envelope itself had a considerable weight and thickness to it, suggesting that there were secrets caught within the pages inside. What they were could be was anybody's guess, but neither of them wanted the spoil the upcoming trip before it even got started.

“No, I will put this out of sight until I have had a chance to view what is contained on the pages within first,” Kristin answered. “Lucas confided with me that he wasn't certain that he wanted to know if there were any records in the first place, or find out anything else. I will let him know they exist once I have had a chance to examine them carefully, and he can make an informed decision on whether he still wants to be told or not.”

“Not today, please,” Nathan negotiated, hoping that Kristin would see it his way and wait to view the file.

“Agreed, not today,” Kristin replied, holding the envelope so that it was tucked out of sight. She would put it inside her personnel luggage and keep it hidden until she could make a detailed analysis.

Ford was trying not to listen, and could be trusted to maintain strict confidentiality and privacy, especially when they were talking about medical files. Obviously there was something significant about that piece of information. This was the first time he had heard any mention about Lucas' mother's name since the teenager had come on-board.

“You have my word, Doctor,” he simply stated when the doctor glanced in his direction. The Commander knew that Lucas was still reeling about some of the crew knowing about the abuse that had been inflicted upon him. There was no need to make that situation any more precarious than it already was, given that they had made a solemn pact and sworn to keep his dark secret.

“I will go and join Lucas before he comes back out looking for us,” Kristin stated to Bridger.

“I only have to officially hand over to Jonathan, and I will be along with you,” Nathan promised. He intended to keep the whole process simplified and uncomplicated. He still had his own set of instructions in a different sealed envelope to pass along.

Inside the launch, Kristin had just enough time to put the large envelope at the bottom of the bag that contained her personal clothing, before Ben came out of the cockpit.

“Oh there you are, Doc, the kid and I were starting to think you had changed your mind and this mission had been scrubbed,” he joked. “I was just about to come searching for you and the Captain.”

“Nathan is officially handing over to Commander Ford and wanted to pass along some last minute instructions. He will be along in a moment,” Kristin reported.

Using up all of the excuses he could think of to stay longer, Ben said a few final words in parting to his friend. “Have a great time, Lucas, we can catch up together on what you have seen in a few days.”

“Thanks, Ben, I will be thinking of you when I am lazying on the beach sand,” Lucas teased. “In the meantime, don't work too hard.”

“Take care, Kristin, I will see myself out and check that the Captain is all set.”

“Thank you for all you have done to make this trip happen, Mr Krieg, and the hours of preparation,” she offered sincerely.

Without his keen diligence and efforts to gain Lucas' trust, they may not have discovered that he was using attempting to cope with some of his underlying anxiety and fears through unique methods. By the time they did find out, the problems would have grown and become progressively worse.

“I haven't put my plans into effect yet,” Ben told her with a sly grin, lowering his voice so that the conversation was only between the two of them. “Wait I come to the island on the last day and see what I have in mind. I am going to bring a bag full of surprises for fun on that last day.”

Kristin was left standing on her own in the cabin of the launch, trying to figure out what activities the charismatic man may have in store. Fun intended mainly for Lucas no doubt, _but what_ exactly did that entail? Her curiosity was piqued.

* * *

Bridger began addressing his Executive Officer, “Jonathan, this is the first time I have had to officially hand over to you during my short time aboard SeaQuest. You have been in command of this vessel before, so I don't think there is the need to create a lot of fanfair. I trust your judgement and you are an experienced officer.”

“Yes, Sir,” Ford answered with his usual calm exterior, suspecting that the Captain had delayed the conversation between them to allow for a few last minute instructions that were not meant for other ears.

“You will be handing over to Commander Hitchcock in a couple of days, and I am presume that you have your own check list for that procedure and set of protocols that you adhere to. I appreciate what you have been required to relinquish on this occasion, and personally assure you that it will not go unrewarded.”

“Once we reach Key West, everything is expected to flow very smoothly, Captain, without incident,” Ford predicted with confidence.

“I know that you will both operate professionally during those few days, even without having all of the facts in front of you right now,” Nathan replied. “I will be able to relax that much better and focus on Lucas, knowing that my crew and the SeaQuest are in good and capable hands.”

Bridger withdrew the envelope that bore the U.E.O. insignia in the top hand left corner, “For now, the information and instructions contained within here, are for your eyes only. I would prefer the contents were not opened until the day you leave. There are further options in there for how to contact me on the island if normal communication channels fail.”

Ford accepted it, nodding his head in acknowledgement, and waiting for the Captain to give him a brief summary of what else was inside.

“In there, you will find the contact details of the man that I will be arranging to pick you and the other crew members that I have invited to my island on that last day,” Bridger explained. “You will all need to assemble very early at the very last pier on that morning, and bring your own personal belongings. I will be giving that man a list of a few items that the head chef couldn't provide.”

The name of the person you will be looking for is “Eddie “Chumpy” Adamson. A long time friend who operates a large private charter cruise boat called _'Sally'._ He conducts daily tours from Miami to the Florida Keys and will know where to bring you.”

Ford was curious about whoever this person was and their connection to the Captain. Up until now, he had rarely heard him use a nick-name for anybody, and Bridger was determined to keep the location of his island secret until the very last minute.

“I believe Mr Krieg will be wanting to bring a few _'extra'_ items as well,” Bridger mentioned.

Nathan saw the problematic expression that crossed Ford's face. He had seen first-hand the number and size of the boxes that Krieg had already finished loading into the launch not more than half an hour ago. “What else could he be possibly thinking of bringing?”

“I am just as in the dark as you,” Bridger conceded, “But it will only be for one day and night.”

Ford wanted to say that Krieg could come up with quite an elaborate scheme in that time frame, but chose not to say anything out loud. Now it was time for Jonathan to tell the Captain about what the arrangements were going to be for Darwin after the launch had departed.

“Sir, as per your earlier instructions to me, Darwin will be released once your launch is a safe distance away from the SeaQuest,” Ford stated. “Tim O'Neill has volunteered to keep visual contact on his progress for as long as possible.”

“Thank you, Jonathan, I know that you were probably expecting me to use the rebreather apparatus, but at the depth we currently are, it won't be necessary. Darwin is going to be swimming with some of his own kind for the majority of his trek, and some of those other mammals may be wary of anything attached to his body. There is a natural bay that surrounds the island where he frequents the most,” Nathan replied. “Darwin will take considerable more time to reach home today, depending on how many friends he stops to play with along the way.”

“One last thing,” Bridger said, as he paused at the launch door, “Once we arrive, I will have to check on the fuel cells and get the generators up and running. I have all of the modern ways of communicating, but also need to rely on some of he older methods too. It always pays to keep them around, especially when there are storms about or bad weather. Thankfully, I don't expect anything but glorious weather on this trip. Our journey to the island should take about four hours, give or take. I will contact the SeaQuest once I reach the pier.”

“Good luck, Commander,” Bridger said, extending his hand, and completing the friendly handshake with his second-in-command.

“Understood, Captain, the crew and I will see that your launch exits smoothly and safely, and then wait patiently to hear that all of you have arrived in the same manner.”

Bridger closed the external sea launch doors and made sure that they were secure before making his way towards the cockpit.

* * *

“Oh there you are,” came the playful accusatory tone of voice from Lucas as he entered the control center. “Kristin and I were sitting here twiddling our thumbs with nowhere to go.”

“Sorry, I got a little caught up talking to Jonathan. I hope you both found something to talk about together.”

While they were waiting for Nathan, Kristin had used it as the perfect opportunity to talk to the teenager about the labelling he had done. Apart from giving her heartfelt thanks, she had wanted to know the reason why he had done it. Lucas had brushed aside the notion that he had done anything out of the ordinary, telling her that it was something that he had done to help out. No other reason. He had shrugged his shoulders at her words of praise for his efforts, and found it a little disconcerting.

For now, Kristin realised she would have to be content with that answer, but wished he had more belief in his own self worth.

“Yeah, we did,” Lucas confirmed, sharing a small grin with the doctor, but nothing about what they had talked about. Kristin returned the smile, keeping their secret.

Bridger secured the small hatch door of the cockpit, noting a small cooler bag on the spare seat directly behind Lucas.

Kristin filled him in on what was inside, “I brought some cold drinks along, but put them in here since there is only three of us to cater for. Juice and water to keep us hydrated.”

“That's a great idea,” Nathan praised, grateful for her forethought about such small details.

“How are you feeling inside here, Kristin? A little different I would assume since you don't get to travel up here very often.”

“I must admit that it feels a little claustrophobic, being such a small confined space,” the red-haired doctor answered. “Everywhere I look behind me, to the sides and in front, there are instruments and electronic control panels. In all directions, and very necessary and important I am sure. I am used to seeing a lot of medical equipment in a hospital or my own department on a regular basis. In here, with blinking lights and digital read outs available for every possible scenario from life support, to navigation and propulsion, it is very daunting being crammed into this limited area.”

After such a comprehensive overview, Nathan turned to the teenager, wondering what his reaction or answer was going to be. It occurred to him that this was the first opportunity for him to experience something like this. “What is your impression, Lucas?”

“What, of being up front here?” Lucas clarified, a little surprised that the man was bothering to ask his opinion. “An up close and unobstructed view of the ocean like no other, once we leave the SeaQuest. What is not to like? This is the best!”

Nathan was very pleased to hear his response, considering that they haven't even left yet. “Everyone buckled in securely?”

“Yes, thank you,” Kristin replied. She was seated directly behind the pilot's chair, where there wasn't a whole lot of extra leg room.

“Captain, how do I get this to sit correctly without digging into my shirt?” Lucas asked, fidgeting with one of the large buckle's that made up his safety harness. “Ben showed me how it works and what to do to release it, but at the moment it is biting into my skin and is very restrictive,” he added, pulling at the nylon strap to signify his discomfort.

“Well that won't do, let me take a look at see what the problem is.” Nathan released the buckle that was the source of the teenager's frustration, noting that it was too tight. After pulling on the strap closer to the top, and making a small adjustment to the metal fastening, “There, try that and tell me how that feels. With any luck you will notice a difference,” he instructed, allowing Lucas to reattach that side of the harness himself.

“Somewhat better,” Lucas commented, but still squirming, noting only a small amount of change. He forced himself to pull his hands away, otherwise he would be constantly fiddling with it. “I still cannot move a whole lot, but I guess that it is necessary to have it done up correctly like this to work effectively,” he conceded.

“I am sure you will get used to it over the next few hours,” Nathan said with empathy.

The Captain settled himself into the pilot's chair, adjusting his own harness and buckling into position. It had been sometime since he had piloted a launch himself. This particular model had been upgraded from what he was used to, but the basics were the same. Silently he had to agree with the teenager about its restrictiveness.

Without further ado, Bridger placed the communication headset over his ears, and began his check list of safety steps. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Lucas' sharp mind watching his actions and drinking everything in like a sponge. Some of them were self-explanatory given the array of labelled buttons that could be read at his fingertips, any others could probably be guessed at according to the result they invoked.

Nathan had been expecting a multitude of questions to come in his direction, but when that didn't happen, he began verbally explaining what he was doing. The teenager was too shy to speak up, but appreciated that the man was willing to indulge the interest he could see. His method seemed to work, when he shared a smile with Lucas and received a genuine one in return.

Kristin was watching the interaction between Nathan and Lucas, and couldn't have been more happier about what she was witnessing. She didn't want to intrude at all. Nathan's quiet, unassuming but attentiveness was allowing a special fragile trust to grow between them.

Once he was satisfied with the instrument panel that was lighting up in front of him, the engines thrummed into life, and sent a jolt of excitement running through each passenger that this adventure was about to start.

“This is the pilot of sea launch MR-7 requesting permission to depart.”

“Captain, permission given to proceed with care when you are ready to pilot the launch out of the designated docking bay,” came the reply. “Please have a smooth and safe journey, and we will see you in four days.”

“Thank you, Mr O'Neill, we will endeavour to do that and look forward to seeing you all at that time. Bridger out.”

Out in the corridor and throughout SeaQuest, the loud speaker was giving the latest automated announcement of comings and goings.

_'SeaQuest MR-7 now departing Docking Bay Number Three'_

* * *

For the first half an hour, the sea launch needed to use the bright lighting mounted on the exterior to navigate the darker depths. The bands of light were wide, but were concentrated and narrowed the visibility area to the occupants.

The variety at that level still didn't disappoint, and Lucas could he heard calling out a number of fish species that he could easily identify. Nathan and Kristin readily joined in with him, and were both enjoying themselves immensely.

Another half an hour would pass, with the launch steadily climbing towards the surface before there was an improvement on, with the sunlight from above penetrating the surface of the water, and changing the colour of the water with spectacular results. The murmurs of awe were the first real sounds of the wonderment of nature that they were witnessing. Bridger had seen it before, but even he had to admit that the view through the front windshield of the launch was unsurpassed.

“It looks like one of those giant aquarium places that you hear about people visiting visit on land,” Lucas casually stated, “One where you could reach your hand out through the glass and touch them because everything seems so alive.”

“Have you been to one of those Aquariums before, Lucas?” Kristin asked, fearing she already knew the answer from how he worded the comment.

“Who me?” Lucas turning towards her as much as the harness would allow, “No, but one of my friends during college have and told me about his visit,” he answered wistfully, quickly focusing back on the fish. “Maybe it would be neat to see for myself one day, but in all honestly, this view is spectacular and more than I could hope for.”

As a parent herself, to hear the wishful desire in Lucas' voice, and his acceptance that it was probably never going to happen was difficult for both of them.

It was true that not every child got to attend an aquarium or animal zoo, and those individuals that missed out, grew up to lead perfectly normal and productive lives. However, some parents saw the value of such fun places because they were interested in enriching and furthering their son or daughter's educational growth, social interaction and development. And from personal experience, nothing could compete with the beaming smile on a child's face when the palm of their hand was tickled by a friendly marine creature or could touch the soft fur coat of a land based animal.

Lucas didn't pick up on the heartache in Kristin's voice about what opportunities he may have already missed out on due to his father's selfishness and neglect, but Nathan certainly did. Bridger had not been planning on taking Lucas to those type of places on this trip, but swore that it would be the start of a variety of fresh and new opportunities for the teenager. Thankfully the coral reef outside were enough at the moment to keep him distracted and provide endless stimulation for his ever-active brain.

“The water is a very appealing turquoise colour and very clear,” Kristin remarked, focusing on what was being laid out before them by mother nature, and being positive for Lucas' sake. “Gives a translucent quality to everything down here, enabling the vibrant colour of each species of fish to stand out.

“What would be even better, is to know someone who owns a glass-bottomed boat and slowly meander through all of this natural world,” Nathan hinted at with a knowing grin. “This trip is too short for that unfortunately. But maybe at some other time? Maybe throw in a little snorkelling too.”

“That would be amazing!” Lucas declared. “I have never done anything like that before. I mean, do you know someone?” he started to ask, but rephrased the tone. “Sorry, I never meant to presume.” Feeling a little guilty, he didn't know why he automatically thought that the Captain would invite him along, no matter when he did those things or who he knew.

“I will put them on my _'to do list'_ , Nathan said with a laugh. A moment earlier, he had seen the delight that the idea of those fun outdoor activities did for Lucas. And then saw the smile fade towards the end and heard the uncertainty of the boy's words. “Don't worry, we can do them together. I won't forget you.”

Lucas stared at the Captain for a moment, unsure what to say in return. Nathan didn't need anything to be said, and went back to watching the fishes outside, knowing that he had instilled a little hope in the teenager, and given him things to hope for. Obviously Lawrence Wolenczak had never done the same often enough.

Kristin had watched the exchange between them, and like earlier as they were departing, could see the natural and easy manner that Nathan used with Lucas. By simply talking to the boy, and listening to him, the impact he was having could not be underestimated.

Looking down at her watch, the doctor noted the time, “My look at the time this morning, it has flown by,” Kristin reported. “Would anyone like a drink?”

“Yes, please,” Bridger answered, taking a cold bottle of water when Kristin held up two choices.

“Lucas?” Kristin offered, about to reach in and grab another bottle of water to replace the first. She could see that the teenager was thinking and about to refuse both.

The teenager found a cold bottle of juice pushed into his hand, and finally relented, taking the bottle and twisting off the lid and drinking from the container. Part of him didn't like her forthrightness, and determination to persevere without pushing too hard. The other part, grateful that she kept trying, and wanting to be able to tell her so.

Whilst he was drinking the juice, Kristin was keeping an eye on Lucas for any signs of him feeling nauseous. The colour of his face was good, and he wasn't displaying any other tell-tale symptoms that she would naturally attribute to motion sickness. He looked like he was going to say something, but was looking out at the marine wonderland in front of him again, mesmerised as they all were by the colours, shapes and patterns.

In one particular section of the water, the sunlight was still penetrating and creating a marvellous affect at just the right angle. Without any warning, two bottle-nosed dolphins came into view, both of them dancing in a vertical position, their skin shimmering as the light hit their bodies and was reflected back.

They didn't stay very long and swam off, carrying out a series of playful dives around each other. Unfortunately being inside the launch, their clicks and whistles couldn't be heard. “Do you think they could be friends with Darwin?” Lucas asked, still watching the performance and thinking of his own aquatic friend.

“Maybe,” Nathan said, not wanting to dampen the boy's energy, but the odds of these two individuals being family to his own cetacean friend were fairly slim. “Bottle-nosed dolphins live in these waters of the Florida Keys all year round.”

“The Florida Keys is a unique region and is home to a vast and diverse number of fish and wildlife species that are find these waters essential for their own health. In return, they help create an ecosystem that accommodates and allows for all kinds of ecological, recreation, and commercial fishing activities. These animals depend on healthy coral reef, seagrass, mangroves, and other habitats throughout their lives. Without they help and funding of the U.E.O. in recent years to reverse the trend of come unscrupulous people and outright pirates, they are vulnerable to exploitation. Their diet is easily affected by climate change, erosion and degradation of areas such as this that they call home,” Nathan described. “This is all part of the research that I have been carrying out on my island for years. I will show you in detail when we get there, what I have been monitoring during that time.”

“I think it is so great that you have been doing all that research and helping to understand them,” Lucas praised. “So many of these natural places across the world are being damaged by big corporate business, who don't even give a second thought to what they are doing.”

“I agree with Lucas on that and think that the work you have been doing, Nathan, is very admirable and worthwhile,” Kristin commented. Both adults were surprised at the teenager's take on the predicament that some marine species found themselves in, through greed and indifference. If only more of the his generation would stand up and take action, then problems like the pollution of the sea water and building more places on the surface for humans could be halted. Marine creatures could easily co-exist with humans and thrive; all it took was for someone to care about the environment they both lived in.

“Thank you both for your vote of confidence. I have been passionate about these waters for a long time,” Bridger explained. “The fish populations in this area are protected by a series of _'no-take'_ zones, so they have more time to establish themselves here in greater numbers. That level of safety provided is directly related to the size, configuration and habitat of that particular species. By understanding their movements and behaviour more, those species that are more vulnerable to exploitation can be identified and managed better.”

Kristin was very impressed, having a strong knowledge of marine biology herself. She was very pleased to hear Nathan's theories and the history behind their numbers dwindling in the past. The fact that someone was taking decisive action to monitor what was happening in their own backyard was very commendable.

“Oh wow! Did you get a look at that?” Lucas exclaimed as a large loggerhead turtle swam directly in front of the launch. “They are huge! Their shells must weigh a ton, having to carry them on their backs all of the time.”

It was hard not for Nathan and Kristin not to break out with smiles of their own, at the short bursts of exuberance coming from Lucas. They hadn't seen him being this happy, or even anything even close on-board SeaQuest. It was a pity that Ben and some of the other crew members had to miss out on seeing him react like this, purely based on having a great time. They could hear about it later of course, but it wouldn't be the same.

“Lucas, look over to your right, in that cave there,” Kristin pointed out, waiting patiently to see if he could see it too.

The teenager looked in the direction she was pointing, and was about to give up, when he spotted a large pair of eyes blinking back from within the darkness. “What is it?” but no sooner had he asked the question, a large speckled grouper fish swam out of the entrance at speed, chasing down the meal of a smaller fish. The size was very impressive.

“Spectacular!” Lucas gave in response to the outmatched race, “So big, and it was perfectly camouflaged in that cave, that poor little fish didn't stand a chance until it was too late. Survival of the fittest down here.”

Kristin couldn't have timed it better and hadn't predicted the large fish to emerge in such a dramatic fashion, but he had gained a captive audience.

“There are so many different types of corals down here,” Lucas stated. “I know some of them, and their genus names, but not all. Look at all those little fishes using those larger corals to hide in.”

“The Florida Keys has more than forty five species of hard or stony corals, Lucas, and thirty five types of soft corals. Quite a number of those are declared as threatened or listed as endangered,” Bridger filled in. “Factors such as weather, the temperature of the sea water, natural but harmful algae blooms all play their part in making it more difficult for them to recover once disturbed. Then there are diseases and ocean acidification that affect the time it takes for them to regrow or suffer as well.”

“The day after tomorrow, once we have reached the island and get unpacked, I will take you down to some of the rock pools and sheltered inlets at the far end of the beach. Bridger promised. “Keeping in mind that you still have bruising in a few places to be careful about. You will be able to paddle around in the cool water and soft sand with your bare feet and touch some of the small friendly crabs and marine creatures, Lucas,”

“Really?” Lucas asked with a fresh bubble of excitement. Bridger didn't realised how much he liked the idea of being able to touch the sand and water. Something very simplistic to others, but it would be a dream come true for him.

“Yes, really,” Bridger answered with a laugh.

There was that slight tone of disbelief to the boy's voice again, as though he didn't think he deserve to do such fun things. A big question began to form and stare back inside Nathan's mind, but he was afraid to ask it out loud and destroy the small amount of happiness that had built up during the last few hours. Most children liked the rock pools and the beach, as he did himself. How many times had Lucas been to the ocean? Once, twice, never?

“There are quite a variety of marine creatures that dwell in those shallow tidal pools and rely on the waves to bring the food they eat, and the nutrients the require in the salt of the sea spray,” Bridger told him.

For the next twenty minutes, all chatter in the cockpit of the launch stopped as the occupants continued to watch out of the front window, gaining the best vantage point. Kristin was about to call out to Lucas and point out something else interesting she could see, but upon looking over at the teenager, chose to remain quiet. She glanced over at Nathan, and saw that he had yet to notice, smiling to herself as she decided the best way to tell him.

“Nathan, I appreciate that you understand all of those controls and instruments you have in front of you, but do they tell you absolutely everything?” she enquired.

“Yes they do. What do you mean by that?” Bridger replied, thinking that she was taking a playful swipe at his piloting skills. He ran his eyes over the speed they were travelling at and noted the depth of the launch. The temperature outside was still mild, and comfortable inside, according to the data that was being recorded. Everything was in balance so far as he could tell and they were a few miles ahead of where he had planned to be at this time.

“What about if you co-pilot is no longer working?”

“I haven't engaged the co-pilot controls yet...............,” he began, but looked to his right enough to see what the doctor was trying hard _'not'_ to say. He hadn't noticed that the co-pilot was currently out of commission, and felt a little guilty that he hadn't picked it up on it before her.

“I am sure that you would be able to consider a career as a tour guide, because you seem to have a knack for keeping your audience riveted,” Kristin teased. “I estimate he hasn't heard anything you have said for the last fifteen minutes.”

“Very funny,” he whispered, deliberately lowering his voice. “How long has he been like that?”

“I don't know myself, but I would guess more than a few minutes, given his relaxed posture,” she surmised.

They had both seen the tiredness when he first arrived in the launch bay, but after setting out, he had been showing an improved level of alertness for more than half of the journey. Ben had reported truthfully to them about him being awake during the early morning hours again. They should have suspected that he had spent the morning running on fumes. They could see the proof before them.

Kristin found herself acting like a concerned parent again,“I don't want to wake him, and it would feel cruel to do so. But he is going to end up with a stiff neck by staying in that position for much longer. I cannot imagine that any sleep he is gaining is going to be restful.”

“This trip has to change this, Kristin. I know it has already been said, but we need to work together as a team over the next few days and try and find a workable solution. I don't want him dozing off or catching snatches of sleep here and there. I want him to get some descent rest, not during the day, and be awake all hours in the middle of the night, opposite to everyone else. That is only going to exacerbate and reinforce his isolation from the crew.”

Kristin was nodding her head, agreeing with everything that he was saying, and the sentiments behind the words. Lucas was still trying to face everything on his own. Instead of admitting to tiredness. The whole reason for this break away was happening right before them, and neither could ignore the tugs they felt on their heart strings.

“We have plenty of time to pause here for a few minutes,” he assured her, slowing the speed down, and then halting the progress of the launch.

Lucas was leaning slightly forward in the co-pilot's chair at an awkward angle. His upper body hunched over, but suspended by the restrictive harness. The new cap he had been wearing backwards, was cradling the right side of his head and in danger of falling off completely onto the floor.

“He hasn't even heard the two of us talking to one another,” Bridger said, remembering how fatigued he had been only a few nights ago in his own cabin. Nathan unbuckled his own harness, intending to go against Kristin's wishes and wake Lucas. They may be three quarters through the journey, but he wasn't going to let him remain sitting like that for the remainder of the journey. He was going to make that change now. Picking up the half-empty juice container, he recapped it to avoid spillage and set it aside.

Nathan called out softly, not wanting to startle him. His first attempt at using his name was unsuccessful, so he tried for a second time. “Lucas.” The Captain reached for the buckles on the harness, releasing them.

“Hey, what the.....,” came the garbled response, as the teenager partially woke, his hands reaching up in front defensively. For the briefest of moments, his muscles tensed at feeling someone's hands, but the sensation faded just as quickly. Glancing back at Bridger with bleary eyes, his internal warning system was telling him that the owner of this face wasn't a threat.

Nathan adjusted his method of contact, understanding, but saddened that recoil was Lucas' first natural reaction to touch. The cap did fall off onto the floor, so he retrieved it and handed it over to Kristin for safe keeping. Lucas hadn't noticed yet that he wasn't wearing it on his head. Seeing the doctor standing, he assumed that she was intending to follow him and keep him company.

“Come on, let's get you standing up and out of this seat,” Bridger encouraged with patience.

“What is going on?” he repeated, followed quickly by a yawn, covering his mouth and yawning expansively again into his sleeve. He rubbed a hand over his face, trying to wake, but that only accentuated his tiredness.

“You are going to go into the cabin at the back with Kristin, and have a little sleep until we arrive. There is still an hour or so before we reach our destination, but you won't miss out on anything.”

Nathan wasn't certain how many of his words were filtering through to the teenager. Lucas stood up, waiting until he regained his equilibrium, “But, I want to see the fishes,” he murmured in protest.

“You will get to see them more later,” Bridger proclaimed, keeping a supportive hand close by, but allowing him to maintain his independence. He made a silent vow that he would do everything he could to ensure that Lucas had plenty of time to explore this abundant sanctuary.

For a moment Nathan thought he was going to get an argument to the contrary, but was pleased when that didn't eventuate.

Becoming a little more aware of what was being asked of him, Lucas shuffled a few steps sideways around the chair, and moved towards the hatch door of the cockpit.

“Sorry I dozed off in there,” Lucas began to apologise, plopping down on the cushions, lifting his feetand slumping horizontally along the padded seat. “I am really not that tired, I don't need to sleep.......,” but the end of the sentence faded away as his eyes drifted closed.

“You don't need to anything right now,” Bridger patronised with mock exasperation at the teenager, and sharing a smirk of victory with Kristin. The boy was determined not to admit defeat, even against his own body's betrayal.

“Why do you have to be so stubborn?” Nathan whispered, trying to figure out if this whole futile exercise was an inability to let go of any daily turmoil and hence, a coping mechanism. Or did it merely stem from being a teenager?.

“The two of you will be alright back here?” he asked rhetorically, seeing Kristin take her own seat. Even with Lucas laying down and stretched out with his shoes down the other end, there was plenty of room for them both. She knew that Lucas didn't need her company and would be perfectly fine on his own, but resigned herself to staying nonetheless.

“I wanted to keep seeing the fishies too,” she pouted, almost making the mistake of letting go a burst of laughter at the expression on his face. In apology, she ran a hand softly across Lucas' forehead as he mumbled a word or two in his sleep.

“Only for those good girls and boys,” Bridger teased at her charade. He took great satisfaction at shushing her with two fingers in front of his lips, and receiving a mock scowl in his direction.

Both of them were feeling very natural in each other's company. Enough for pleasant conversation and to share a joke. This short break away may do the both of them some great benefit as well, and help them unwind from their usual hectic and demanding responsibilities. When they returned to SeaQuest after the next four days, they were both only too aware that such opportunities may be short lived.

“Keep an eye on him for me will you?” Bridger requested as he headed back towards the hatch door to the cockpit. “And if he gives you any trouble.........,” waggling a finger in mock sternness.

“Two eyes, at all times,” she assured him with a warm smile, knowing how much Nathan cared. Looking over at the peaceful sleeping face beside her, positive that he didn't to worry about anything else. “Lucas and I will be just fine.”

To be continued..............................

Jules

**Author Notes:**

Sorry folks, this chapter doesn't have a whole lot of action, and took double the amount of time to write. I have no valid excuse for that except that my muse wasn't following well at the beginning.

Some of this chapter explores more of Bridger's thoughts as well as Lucas, and I hope that I have been a little realistic in my interpretation. Bridger is usually a calm and collective and strong character, but sometimes there needs to be a chinck in that armour. Lucas' emotions are still a roller coaster, and constantly changing, but that is how I would see someone reacting with his dark past. Positive and Negative. There is a lot more to come in that area too.

This is one of the longest stories I have written for any fandom, but we are only about half way at this stage with Chapter Five. That is subject to change, but it will be longer, not shorter.

The new character of Eddie Adamson was only mentioned briefly in this chapter. How Bridger and he know each other will be explored in more detail soon. Four days on the island is expected to take two chapters. They are intended to be _**mostly**_ happier times with a lot of new things happening. But that will soon change afterwards for those readers who know me as an author. (I am itching too, believe me but cannot reveal anything at this time) Although I want to get to more action, these fill in chapters are setting up a lot of detail and clues for this story and many others to come. Some are obvious, others not so much.

I know that some meat has been outlawed by the time frame that SeaQuest is in, and that has been mentioned. I have also included scenarios that used alternative meat products and processed substitutes, but still refer to cooking meat in some dishes and scenes.

It was a difficult choice to leave Ben out from coming along from the very beginning, but I am sticking by my choice. There will be plenty of time for him to become involved. And no, the reason for the title of this story still hasn't come up yet.

I did do some research in some areas, and included some real facts. Others have been changed and altered to suit what I need to happen. I hope you will continue to follow the journey. Bridger's island is based on a real place, but the name has been changed, much more to learn about all that yet. There are more permanent new characters to introduce in the next chapter.

I know it took forever to herd three people and supplies into a launch and leave the SeaQuest, but I hope you enjoy reading what I have created and continue to follow what happens next.

Jules

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please see author notes at the end of this story.

**Author's Note:**

> Please see author notes at the end of the chapter.


End file.
